Epsom GP gaoled for sex attacks

Get Surrey reports that a 45 year old GP from Epsom has been convicted of indecently assaulting a number of women patients during medical examinations. He now faces being struck off by the General Medical Council.

See here for the full report.

The GP was convicted of five charges of indecent and sexual assault on five different women, after being arrested in November 2008.

Compensation claims against medical practitioners are relatively common where clinical negligence is concerned, but claims in relation to sexual assault are far more rare.  In such cases, if the abuse can be proved, then the victim has a claim against the practitioner direct and potentially against that practitioner’s employer on the grounds that they are vicariously liable for the actions of their employee. See the case of Lister v Hesley Hall Ltd [2002] UKHL 22.

It has to be established that the practitioner was acting in the course of his duties, and that his abuse had a close connection with his employment. With a medical practititioner, part of his duties will be a physical examination.

There may also be a parallell claim to the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority, a government organisation set up to compensate victims of crime.