Doctor jailed for 12 years for sex assaults on 47 female patients including children

25 May 2022, 23:01 | Updated: 26 May 2022, 10:04

A retired doctor has been jailed for 12 years after he was found guilty of a string of sexual offences against 47 female patients.

Krishna Singh, 72, was convicted of 54 charges, mainly of indecent and sexual assault, following a trial at the High Court in Glasgow which ended last month.

The offences happened over more than three decades between January 1984 and 2018, mainly at a medical practice in North Lanarkshire but also at a police office and a hospital accident and emergency department.

His victims included pregnant women, a rape victim and four girls under the age of 16.

His actions included kissing and hugging patients, touching their breasts and making inappropriate comments to them.

Sentencing Singh when he appeared at the High Court in Glasgow on Wednesday, Lord Armstrong said: "You have been convicted after trial of 54 charges of calculated and manipulative sexual abuse of 47 women and girls in relation to who, as a general practitioner, you were in a clear position of trust.

"You perpetrated these crimes against your female patients persistently over a period of 34 years."

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He said that Singh breached his position of trust and carried out unnecessary examinations, telling him: "You undermined the trust of the medical profession by eroding the trust that women would have had."

Lord Armstrong said that victim impact statements showed that Singh's actions had a "devastating impact" on his victims, some of whom now have a distrust of the medical profession while others have suffered depression, low self-esteem and anxiety.

He sentenced the 72-year-old to 12 years behind bars and placed him on the sex offenders register. Singh's defence agent, Janice Green, said he had expressed "extreme regret" at his actions.

She said: "Dr Singh knows that custody is the only disposal appropriate given the grave breach of trust. The seriousness of the offences arises from the breach of trust."

The 72-year-old had denied the charges against him. He claimed he had been using examination techniques learned while training in India.

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Laura Connor, head of Thompsons Solicitors abuse unit, represents 16 women abused by Singh and welcomed the sentence.

She said: "This man used a position of trust and power to prey upon women and girls in his community for decades. His sentence reflects that abhorrent abuse of trust."

Singh qualified as a doctor in India in 1974.

He registered with the General Medical Council as a doctor in November 1976 before taking up a job as a GP at a practice in North Lanarkshire, where he remained until 2018.

Singh also took up a position as a police casualty surgeon between 2005 and 2010 in Scotland, during which he examined people in custody. An investigation into Singh ensued after NHS Lanarkshire received a complaint about him in 2018.

Procurator Fiscal for the High Court, Ruth McQuaid, said: "Krishna Singh's behaviour was an appalling betrayal of the trust which exists between patient and doctor. He used his position for his own depraved purposes over many years.

"The courage and determination of his victims has brought his offending to an end and I would like to commend their fortitude through a long process."

Detective Inspector Stephen Morris, of Police Scotland's Specialist Crime Division, also praised the women.

He said: "The victims have shown great courage in coming forward with vital information, making sure he was held accountable for his actions, and ultimately convicted.

"I hope this sentence provides a sense of closure for them and sends a clear message that all reports of sexual abuse, regardless of the passage of time, will be thoroughly investigated by Police Scotland and victims will be supported throughout."