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Allegations of Sexual
Abuse in NZ |
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by Jayne Hulbert A woman who went to a doctor for back
pain and depression as a teenager told the High Court at New Plymouth
yesterday the doctor touched her breasts and watched her do exercises
semi-naked. The woman, now 44, is one of 12
complainants to give evidence in the High Court jury trial of a New Plymouth
doctor facing multiple charges of sexual assault. All former patients, the women
allege the offending took place during medical consultations between 1981 and
2002. The doctor, who has name suppression, denies the 37 charges he faces. In court yesterday, the woman told
Crown prosecutor Cherie Clarke she saw the doctor over a three-year period
from when she was 18. She said the first time she saw
him, in 1981, he asked her to take off her top, but to leave her bra on. He then instructed her to do a
series of back exercises, while he watched her from behind. "I felt OK about that, I
thought it was all quite normal," the woman told Ms Clarke. But she said that, on later
appointments, he asked her to take off her bra and skirt or trousers while he
watched. No nurse was present. "I didn't feel that
comfortable with it." She said she was left dressed in
just her underpants as he asked her to complete some back exercises. The complainant also alleges on other
occasions the doctor rolled her nipples between his thumb and fingers. "I could not understand what
it had to do with my back problem, and it felt wrong." The woman also said she had some
issues with the anti-depressant medication he had prescribed her and she had
asked the doctor about lowering the dose. "He said that if I did not
want his help then to not come back. "I didn't say anything
because I think he was cross with me, he sounded angry." She said during an appointment,
when she was being weighed, the doctor bent down to read the scales and as he
stood up he rubbed his ear against her naked breast and nipple "in slow
motion". At the time she pulled away and
said "don't", she said. On a later visit the woman said
she felt the doctor's erect penis pressing against her after he completed a
vaginal examination. When asked by Ms Clarke why she
continued to see the doctor, the woman said she felt trapped. "And I needed the
anti-depressants and the painkillers, and I did not know who else I was going
to get them from." During cross-examination by
defence counsel Susan Hughes, the court heard how the woman had suffered from
a range of mental health issues for some time, including hallucinations that
someone was touching her. "That is a problem that you
have had for a long time," Ms Hughes said. "Hallucinations that people
are doing things to you . . . hear things or smell things that are not
there." "Correct," replied the
woman. Ms Hughes questioned the woman's
evidence that during most of her appointments there was no one else at the
surgery. "On some of the appointments
there were other people there, but not on the bad ones," the woman said.
Ms Hughes also doubted the
accuracy of the complainant's memory of events. The trial continues today. |
