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Allegations of Sexual
Abuse in NZ |
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The High Court at New Plymouth
heard yesterday there was no medical reason for much of the alleged touching by
the doctor on trial for sexual offending. Crown witness, medical expert Ian
St George, took the stand on the first day of the third week of the trial of
a New Plymouth doctor facing 37 charges of sexual assault. Wellington-based Dr St George was
taken through each of the 12 complainants' evidence by Crown prosecutor
Cherie Clarke. He told Ms Clarke that many of the
claims made by the women described events that were not consistent with
medical examinations or that there was no medical justification for the
doctor's actions. The doctor has denied all the
charges. Dr St George, who has been a
medical practitioner since the late 1960s, is also an elected member of the
New Zealand Medical Council and holds several other positions. He also worked for many years in
education and is involved in the on-going monitoring of doctors' practices.
He works part-time as a GP. Ms Clarke told Dr St George that
three of the complainants had described how the doctor had touched their
breasts during the early stages of pregnancy. Dr St George said it had been
accepted since the late 1960s that breast examinations during pregnancy did
not provide useful information. He said that reasons to examine a
woman's breasts could include a pregnancy diagnosis, but there had been
better methods around for years. Two of the complainants had also
described having internal examinations early in their pregnancies, Ms Clarke
said. "Vaginal examination in early
pregnancy is no longer recommended – it doesn't give reliable information,"
Dr St George said. He believed that had been the
advice to doctors since about the 1970s. Ms Clarke said three of the
patients described the doctor having an erect penis during their
examinations. "These intimate examinations
of women should never be sexualised to the extent that the doctor becomes
sexually excited," Dr St George said. One of the complainants had
described the doctor squeezing her breast, while giving her a vaginal
examination and Ms Clarke asked Dr St George to comment on that. He said there was no medical
justification for having one hand on the breast while giving an internal
examination. When asked about the complainants'
evidence that the doctor had squeezed or rolled their nipples, Dr St George
said he believed there was not any medical component to the touching and no
useful information could be gained by it. Dr St George described to the jury
how correct internal and breast examinations should be conducted. The women's descriptions of what
had happened to them was different from his explanation. He said it was standard medical
practice for doctors to wear gloves during internal examinations – and had
been since he graduated from medical school in 1965 – to de-personalise what
was an intensely personal procedure and to protect against the spread of
infection. Dr St George will be
cross-examined by the defence today. |
