Additional Allegations Emerge Against GP Jailed for Indecent Assault

Additional complaints have been lodged against a former general practitioner who was incarcerated last month for indecently assaulting women during routine medical examinations. Stephen Cox, 65, received a 22-year prison sentence for 12 assaults on patients committed while he was employed at a practice in Bracknell, Berkshire, between 1988 and 1997. A spokesperson for Thames Valley Police indicated that the force is currently investigating “a number” of new cases, though these inquiries are still in their initial stages. Mr. Cox had previously worked at other medical practices located in Wokingham, Burton-on-Trent, Wolverhampton, Derby, Leicestershire, Telford, and West Sussex. Reading Crown Court heard testimony that Cox was “motivated by sexual pleasure” when he assaulted the women at the former Ralphs Ride Practice, which is now known as the Waterfield Practice. He also conducted internal examinations on some of the women when such procedures were not necessary or without the use of gloves. Judge Sarah Campbell stated to Cox during his sentencing that he was the “worst kind of sexual predator,” having assaulted seven vulnerable women whom he believed would be less likely to complain. Cox, who resides near Welshpool, was acquitted of an additional four counts involving one of the victims on 4 October, following a trial that lasted a month. The judge remarked that the fact the victims did not report Cox immediately after the assaults “will have struck a chord” with many women. Cox, who had retired before his recent trial, was suspended from practicing as a doctor for a period of nine months in October 2010. Regulators determined that he had behaved inappropriately and in a “sexually motivated” way with two patients and a trainee while working at a practice in Handcross, West Sussex. These instances included placing a hand inside a patient’s bra during an examination, pushing or thrusting his body against a woman’s bottom, and deliberately touching and/or rubbing the medical student’s leg and arm. At the time, the hearing was informed that he was “devastated when the complainants came forward.” However, a panel concluded that Cox did not demonstrate he was “able to empathise with the perspectives of the women concerned.” You can follow BBC Berkshire on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.