'I do not recollect patients who accused me of indecently assaulting them in the 1990s' - TV doctor tells jury
The TV doctor accused of indecently assaulting three Black Country patients during examinations told jurors he had no recollection of his alleged victims.
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Aivar Bracka, 73, of Balmoral Road, Wordsley, is on trial for indecently assaulting a child and two adults whilst he was a consultant at Wordsley Hospital in the late 1990s.
The Wolverhampton Crown Court trial is nearing its climax with the jury expected to be sent out to deliberate the former doctor's guilt today (April 9).
Taking the witness stand for the defence the doctor told jurors when first told about the accusations he did not recollect the complainants in the case due to the sheer volume of patients he used to see.
However, after consulting his medical record he confirmed he had seen the patients involved. Jurors had previously heard testimony from three former patients who claimed Bracka showed them pictures of naked men from a book he had in his office.
When asked about the dated pornography he showed the patients, leading one to be repulsed due to the follicle fashions of the 1970s, the Dr denied needing to get his patients sexually aroused to achieve an erection.
He said: "In some cases I would need to see the patient's penis erect but I would not have needed to show them pornography to achieve that. There is a medical procedure which involve gripping the base to increase the blood flow.
"I would do this. I would never masturbate a patient. That would be wrong."
The court heard when the alleged assaults occurred in the 1990s it was common for consultants and surgeons not to wear gloves during examinations. Bracka said: "I would need to touch a patient but only for a matter of seconds.
Professor David Ralph, a urologist, testified this was the case for the type of examinations Bracka undertook on a daily basis.
Bracka starred in BBC2 documentary Trust Me, I’m A Doctor in the late 1990s carrying out a delicate operation on a youngster. He worked as a consultant at Russells Hall Hospital until 2010 often inspecting patients genitals and carrying out surgeries to treat deformities and other problems.
He said: "I had patients coming from across the country to see me. So it is hard for me to remember every single patient. These examinations can be very awkward but through my experience and expertise I would try to them at ease."
Bracka denies all charges.
