Doctor who sexually assaulted patients jailed for 16 years

November 18, 2014, 5:09 pm

A Birmingham doctor has been jailed for 16 years for performing intimate examinations on female patients for his own gratification.

Dr Nafees Hamid − a neurosurgeon who worked at QE Hospital and the private Priory Hospital in Edgbaston − assaulted six women aged from 24 to 47 years old between January 2012 and June 2013.

He was convicted of the offences at Birmingham Crown Court earlier today (18 November) before being sentenced.

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The 51-year-old molested most of the women during one-to-one consultations, with no chaperone present, and then failed to document the examinations in patient records. But on one occasion, sexually assaulted a QE patient on a ward in the middle of the night.

Many of the women turned to Hamid, or were recommended by GPs, for help to diagnose back and joint complaints but were left traumatised after he insisted they stripped from the waist down.

Hamid, from Russell Road in Moseley, claimed his intimate massages on some patients − most of which he conducted without wearing surgical gloves − were medically justified in order to assess levels of sensation, but insisted others were making up their accounts.

But an independent neurosurgeon, called at Birmingham Crown Court as an expert witness, deemed Hamids examinations were totally unjustified, whilst some victims reported Hamid was noticeably aroused at the time and asked questions about their sex life.

He denied 14 counts against 10 women but today a jury deemed hed taken advantage of six patients in his care and found him guilty on a total of eight counts of sexual assault by digital penetration.

The jury cleared him on four counts of sexual assault against women aged 27, 52, 64 and 66 years old and a further count of digital penetration on a 42-year-old woman.

Detective Inspector Ian Ingram from West Midlands Polices Public Protection Unit oversaw the police investigation. He said: “Hamid was a well-respected, hugely experienced doctor and neurosurgeon…thats why he was able to get away with sexually assaulting patients for so long.

“Women whove suffered at his hands were left questioning ‘did that really happen and speculating ‘perhaps it was medically justified as they couldnt believe a doctor would act in such a manner.

“We know there were also concerns amongst some patients that they wouldnt be taken seriously and that their word wouldnt be believed when against those of a medical expert.

“Well we believed them…and within just a few hours of the first woman contacting us with her concerns Hamid had been arrested and was in a police cell.

“As often happens in cases like these, it just takes one person to break their silence to give others the confidence to do the same. The women have shown great courage in coming forward and giving evidence in a trial. They have had to give details about incidents that were extremely personal and distressing in open court.

“But they can now take comfort that their actions have resulted in Hamid being convicted, put behind bars and saved any other women from potentially suffering at his hands.”

Hamids catalogue of offences came to light after a 25-year-old Birmingham woman saw him at Priory Hospital on 6 June last year for a persistent back complaint.

She contacted West Midlands Police shortly after the 11am appointment saying shed been sexually assaulted during the examination − and within hours officers had arrested him from his Moseley home.

He was charged with the offence on November 19 and, after hundreds of letters were sent out to past patients, several more women came forward raising concerns about treatment theyd received.

His victims included a 32-year-old disabled lady and a 42-year-old with whom he exchanged flirtatious and explicit text messages.

Two final charges were brought on 4 July in relation to a 47-year-old QE patient Hamid molested in April and June 2012. In a statement she told detectives shed been in “turmoil” since the assaults and had delayed reporting because, although knowing it was wrong, remained in “disbelief a doctor could do such a thing”.

Det Insp Ingram, added: “We have made every effort to contact people who may have been assaulted by Dr Hamid but we cannot rule out there may be some whove not yet spoken to police. Id urge anyone who believes they have been assaulted to contact the enquiry team.”

On sentencing Hamid, His Hon Judge Patrick Thomas QC praised West Midlands Police and the Crown Prosecution service, saying they “used a good deal of sense coming to the decision to prosecute”. With regards to the police, he added the investigation was carried out “fully professionally and sensitively.”

Commenting on the sentence, Det Insp Ingram said: “We are satisfied with the term handed to Hamid, which reflects the seriousness of his crimes.

“He is now going to have time to reflect on how, when he was in a position to help and cure many people, he chose to sexually assault ladies when they were at their most vulnerable.”