Canterbury GP's genital exams 'unnecessary', court hears
A former GP conducted "unnecessary" genital examinations on nine male patients, including young teenagers, a court has heard.Gregory Manson, 56, is alleged to have carried out the exams for complaints including coughs, headaches and knee sprains.His accusers said they did not recall him wearing gloves, offering a chaperone or giving "proper explanations" for the examinations before they took place.Appearing at Canterbury Crown Court on Monday, Dr Manson, of Tower Way, Canterbury, denied 18 offences of sexual assault and six of indecent assault.
The court heard that Dr Manson worked as a GP between 1994 and 2017, along with working as a GP trainer and programme director of GP training, and as a GP appraiser for the General Medical Council.The first complaint of sexual assault against him was filed to Canterbury Police in 2017, followed by an NHS England exercise which saw more alleged victims come forward.In a police interview, he said he had never touched a patient for improper or sexual purposes and said every examination was conducted for justified medical reasons, the court was told.Prosecuting, Jennifer Knight KC told jurors Manson also failed to document in patients' notes any potential findings or the the fact such examinations had taken place at all.
The first two alleged victims were brothers and both saw Manson before and after they were 16, the court heard.Both said they were told to pull down their trousers and boxer shorts during a number of examinations.Ms Knight said that the elder brother initially "assumed" this was necessary but had gradually become "uncomfortable".Their mother told investigators she never met Dr Manson when her sons were young teenagers as she would always stay in the waiting room, the court heard.
Another alleged victim saw Dr Manson twice in 1999 when he was 35 and then 12 years later in 2011, each time with abdominal pain.On all three occasions, a genital examination was undertaken and, on both occasions in 1999, his underwear was removed without consent, the court heard.Dr Manson told police this had been necessary to check lymph nodes and femoral pulses in the victim's groin area. However, Ian Wall, a forensic medicine professor and GP, noted there would be no reason to do this, especially without permission.The trial continues.
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