Retired Bracknell GP found guilty of indecently assaulting female patients

A retired GP has been found guilty of indecently assaulting female patients on the pretext of carrying out routine procedures.

Stephen Cox, 65, denied 16 charges of indecent assault against seven women while practising in Bracknell, Berkshire, between 1988 and 1997. He was found guilty of 12 of those counts on Friday at Reading crown court after a four-week trial, Thames Valley police said. He will be sentenced on Monday.

During his career Cox also practised in Burton-on-Trent, Staffordshire; Wolverhampton; Derby; Measham in Leicestershire; Wokingham, Berkshire; the Ouse valley in West Sussex and Telford, Shropshire. Police said they were keeping an open mind as to whether he had committed other offences and encouraged anyone who thought they may have been a victim to come forward.

Chris Hewertson, prosecuting, told the court that Cox took “sexual gratification” in assaulting the women, some of whom were pregnant at the time. He said Cox was “motivated by sexual pleasure by the deliberate touching of certain areas of the body” and the actions were not medically justified, but criminal.

The offences took place before the use of computerised healthcare records, which meant the police investigation revolved around handwritten GP notes to help establish the time periods when Cox targeted his victims.

Cox claimed he did not remember any of the patients, police said, and denied the allegations, saying the incidents were either misunderstandings or accidents, or his victims were not telling the truth.

DC Sara di Giorgio said Cox had betrayed the trust of his patients. “He is a prolific and predatory sex offender hiding beneath the mask of being a trusted doctor, and I hope that the outcome of this case will give the victims some justice,” she said. “I would like to praise each and every one of his victims for coming forward and showing the bravery, not only to report the offences, but also to testify in court.”

Di Giorgio added: “Cox’s patients had every right to feel safe and to trust him, but he completely betrayed this trust, embarking on a series of indecent assaults which his victims have had to live with for many decades.

“He has never displayed an ounce of remorse for what he had done, and has constantly denied any wrongdoing, this despite a number of women, none of whom know each other, coming forward to report what he had done to them.”

Police said anyone who believed themselves to be a victim of Cox could contact them on 101 or through the Thames Valley police website, quoting Operation Kurtosis. “You will be listened to and any information you provide will be treated in the strictest confidence,” Di Giorgio said.

• Information and support for anyone affected by rape or sexual abuse issues is available from the following organisations. In the UK, Rape Crisis offers support on 0808 500 2222 in England and Wales, 0808 801 0302 in Scotland , or 0800 0246 991 in Northern Ireland . In the US, Rainn offers support on 800-656-4673. In Australia, support is available at 1800Respect (1800 737 732). Other international helplines can be found at ibiblio.org/rcip/internl.html