"Dr Jaswant Rathore abused his position of trust to carry out a series of sexual assaults."

An Indian doctor received a 12-year jail sentence after he sexually abused 4 female patients. After a 7-week trial at Wolverhampton Crown Court, the judge gave the sentence on 18th January 2018.

Jaswant Rathore, a 60-year-old GP, committed ten offences against the 4 patients at his surgery. They went to see him, complaining of stomach or back pain and hayfever between 2008 and 2015.

During appointments, he would “massage” and touch them inappropriately, fulfilling his own sexual desires.

The doctor, who held a medical practice for 30 years, originally denied charges of assaulting 8 women.

He claimed that he acted professionally with each patient. The 60-year-old also said the ‘massages’ were medically appropriate for their ailments.

Judge Challinor found Jaswant guilty of 8 counts of sexual assault and 2 of assault by penetration against 4 of the patients. He was cleared of 8 further charges, put forward by the remaining women.

He was originally arrested by police for allegations made by 3 patients. However, a further 5 came forward after seeing reports of his arrest.

At the trial, Judge Challinor said: “Many people have spoken highly of your professionalism, diligence, expertise and amiability. These qualities made you the go-to doctor for many of your patients.

“You used your standing in the community as a cloak behind which to carry out assaults on your patients for your personal gratification. By your actions you violated their faith in you.

“Some of your behaviour demonstrated a breath-taking degree of arrogance, you no doubt hoping that your stature in the medical community would enable you to talk your way out of any difficulties.”

Senior Crown Prosecutor Ian Pinkney also added:

“Dr Jaswant Rathore abused his position of trust to carry out a series of sexual assaults against a number of his female patients.

“He preyed on women who contacted him for medical assistance, but rather than offer them help, he assaulted them for his own sexual gratification.

“The defendant did not have the relevant skills, techniques and training to perform the therapy which he was offering, nor did he provide the necessary safeguards to the victims when he conducted the manipulations.”

He praised the victims for their bravery in coming forward to the police.

Jaswant came to Britain when he was 3-years-old with his family. He studied medicine at the University of Manchester, qualifying as a GP. Prior to holding his own medical practice, the 60-year-old also served as a house officer at the spinal surgery section at the Royal Orthopaedic Hospital in Birmingham.

Since he was charged, the doctor has been suspended from his surgery. However, with his sentence, he will now be stripped off the medical register and unable to practise again.