47-year-old Indian-origin doctor found guilty of sexual assaults on 3 patients

IANS

London, February 13

A 47-year-old Indian-origin family doctor in southeast England has been found guilty of sexually assaulting three women who were under his care, with one of the victims battling cancer.

Mohan Babu, a former general practitioner at the Staunton Surgery in Havant, Hampshire, was convicted of four counts of sexual assault following a three-week trial in Portsmouth Crown Court recently.

He has been released on conditional bail to be sentenced at the same court on April 12, The News, a Portsmouth-based daily, reported.

The court heard that the sexual assaults took place between September 2019 and July 2021 and the youngest victim was a 19-year-old woman.

All three women were targeted within the Staunton Surgery premises where Babu worked along with his wife, a general practitioner at the same clinic.

The jurors were told that numerous complaints were received against Babu and he was repeatedly warned over his conduct, which involved inappropriately touching victims and making "creepy" comments.

The Crown Court heard five other women, including a receptionist at his former workplace, complain about his "over familiar' behaviour, but criminal proceedings were not brought about their complaints.

Prosecutor Miranda Moore KC told the court that Babu targeted "vulnerable" women after he joined the surgery as a locum doctor, one who covers for another doctor on leave, in April 2018.

The first complaint about Babu's behaviour came in August 2019 -- 16 months after he joined on his wife's recommendation.

Prosecutor Moore told the court that between May and August 2019, Babu held face-to-face consultations with a 57-year-old woman, diagnosed with terminal pancreatic cancer in June 2019 and now deceased.

Citing the woman's case, Moore told the court how Babu exploited his profession to conduct unnecessary and invasive examinations, making lewd comments and physically assaulting patients.

A patient who sought treatment for knee and hip problems said that Babu hugged her and requested her phone number.

An investigation followed and it emerged that many other women complained about Babu and asked for a new general practitioner to replace him.

Babu stopped working at Staunton Surgery in July 2021, and denied all seven counts made against him.

He was found not guilty of three offences of sexual assault against a further two women. 

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