Dudley doctor carried out 18 sex attacks against female patients, court hears

Dr Jaswant Rathore assaulted eight women to fuel his 'illicit sexual desire' while he was at the helm of a Dudley surgery, prosecutors allege.

The 60-year-old denies the charges and claims he was performing 'manual manipulation therapy' to help patients complaining of back and hip pain.

Opening the case at Wolverhampton Crown Court, prosecutor Ms Heidi Kubik alleged Rathore had not had the 'appropriate training to carry out specialist techniques'.

She said: "This case concerns what the prosecution say were a series of sexual assaults committed by him against eight separate female patients, under the cover of either diagnosis or treatment of various medical conditions.

"I suggest that his actions went way beyond that of legitimate medical treatment and were in fact an excuse to be allowed to touch these complainants, in a way that was sexually motivated on his part."

Rathore, who qualified in 1985, allegedly attacked the women over almost seven years while he was lead GP at the medical practice, the court was told.

He told patients he needed to carry out the treatment to alleviate their pain but instead sexually assaulted the unsuspecting women, Ms Kubik said.

Patients trusted the family doctor, who had been at the surgery since 1986, when he advised them his medical examinations were necessary, she added.

The prosecutor told jurors the women were not offered a chaperone during examinations, adding: "Agreeing to allow a doctor to touch you for medical purposes is not the same thing as consent to what was, in fact, an inappropriate examination.

"They didn't question his actions at the time. They accepted that he was the doctor, he must know what he was doing, and trusted him to care for them appropriately.

"He knows their vulnerabilities, he knows who is submissive. He knows, I suggest, who would be less likely to complain.

"So it is the prosecution's case that he abused that trust in order to carry out a series of sexual assaults."

Police quizzed Rathore about the allegations after one women came forward and told them she had spoken to two others who were also allegedly assaulted.

A press release disclosing the defendant had been charged then led to further women contacting officers.

Rathore told interviewing officers touching of the women was 'medically appropriate' and he had acted professionally during appointments with patients, Ms Kubik revealed.

The defendant, of Ploughmans Walk, Wall Heath, denies 18 counts of sexual assault between November 28, 2008, and March 26, 2015.

The trial continues.