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Allegations of Sexual
Abuse in NZ |
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Details of female anatomy and
descriptions of how intimate medical examinations are carried out took up much
of the day in the High Court at New Plymouth yesterday as the trial of a
local doctor continues. Crown witness Ian St George was on
the stand for most of the day as an expert witness in the case. A Wellington medical practitioner,
Dr St George provided the jury with details of specific medical procedures
conducted on women, what the procedures might be looking for and how they
could be done. Dr St George is one of the final
witnesses for the crown, with their case expected to conclude this morning. On trial is a New Plymouth doctor
who faces 37 charges of sexual offending on 12 female patients between 1982
and 2001. The doctor, whose identity is suppressed, denies all the charges. During cross-examination by
defence counsel Harry Waalkens QC, Dr St George explained to the court how an
internal examination of a woman would be carried out and the movement of the
fingers as the doctor methodically checked the organ. "To conduct the examination
properly it would be prudent for the doctor to eyeball the patient to see if
they are registering pain or discomfort?" Mr Waalkens asked. "Correct," replied Dr St
George. He agreed doctors could conduct
the examinations in varying ways and it could be possible to inadvertently
brush a woman's clitoris during the procedure. Dr St George said while he would
conduct an internal examination with his thumb tucked into his palm – to
avoid any accidental touching of the clitoris – he had seen doctors do it
with their thumb elevated. "But there is no stock
standard way," Mr Waalkens said. The trial continues. |
