Indecent assault GP jailed for 22 years

A GP who indecently assaulted women arsenic helium carried retired regular aesculapian examinations connected them has been jailed for 22 years.

Stephen Cox, 65, was past week found blameworthy of 12 charges connected 7 patients portion moving astatine a signifier successful Bracknell, Berkshire, betwixt 1988 and 1997.

He was recovered to person got immoderate of his victims to undress unnecessarily, pressed his assemblage against them and touched their breasts without immoderate aesculapian purpose.

Judge Sarah Campbell said Cox was the "worst benignant of intersexual predator" and had assaulted susceptible women helium thought would beryllium little apt to complain.

Reading Crown Court antecedently heard that Cox was "motivated by intersexual pleasure" erstwhile helium assaulted the women astatine the erstwhile Ralphs Ride practice, present the Waterfield Practice.

He besides carried retired interior examinations connected immoderate of the women erstwhile they were not needed oregon without utilizing gloves.

Cox, from adjacent Welshpool, was cleared of different 4 counts involving 1 of the victims connected Friday pursuing a month-long trial.

Last week, constabulary said they were keeping an "open mind" implicit different imaginable assaults. Cox antecedently worked successful Wokingham, Burton-on-Trent, Wolverhampton, Derby, Leicestershire, Telford and West Sussex.

One of Cox's victims told the tribunal she had been "betrayed successful the worst imaginable way" and that she was inactive profoundly affected, much than 30 years on.

Another said the assaults successful Bracknell took spot implicit a prolonged period.

She said: "I don't get adjacent to radical - physically, especially. I tin conscionable beryllium having a cuddle with my spouse and [Cox] conscionable comes into my head.

"I've mislaid partners due to the fact that of it, due to the fact that it's truly hard to understand. It's conscionable ruined my life, completely."

A 3rd pistillate said she had been driven to addiction by Cox's actions, portion different said she had been "violated" arsenic a effect of his "sick fetish".

Cox watched tribunal proceedings connected a video nexus from HMP Bullingdon portion wearing a yellowish and greenish prison-issue jumpsuit.

A assemblage was discharged successful a erstwhile trial, astatine the aforesaid court, erstwhile it failed to scope verdicts connected 7 counts of indecent assaults connected women in March 2023. Cox was cleared of different number of indecent battle astatine that time.

Some of his victims came guardant to kick astir Cox's behaviour aft proceeding oregon speechmaking astir constabulary enactment against him connected the vigor and successful section newspapers.

The justice said Cox had targeted the women. Some had near abusive partners oregon got unexpectedly pregnant. Another was grieving a parent.

She said the mode the victims did not study Cox instantly aft the assaults "will person struck a chord" with galore women.

“With nary witnesses to the assaults, it was the spot of each the victims’ accounts, which showed a akin signifier successful Cox’s behaviour, that helped unafraid his conviction," Chris White, from the Crown Prosecution Service, said.

"We would similar to convey them for coming guardant and we anticipation today’s condemnation gives them immoderate consciousness of closure.”

Cox was suspended from practising arsenic a doc for 9 months successful October 2010 and has present retired.

Regulators recovered that helium had acted inappropriately and successful a "sexually motivated" mode with 2 patients and a trainee portion moving astatine a signifier successful Handcross, West Sussex.

Instances included placing a manus wrong a patient's bra during an examination, pushing oregon thrusting his assemblage against a woman's bottommost and deliberately touching and/or rubbing the aesculapian student's limb and arm.

At the time, the proceeding was told helium was "devastated erstwhile the complainants came forward". But a sheet recovered Cox did not amusement helium was "able to empathise with the perspectives of the women concerned".