By Lucy Williamson - My London News - 20.03.2023 [UK] - [Laurence Slater] A West London GP has been banned from the profession after admitting to sexually touching a child under the age of 13. Dr Laurence Slater, who worked in Hounslow, admitted to touching a child "under and over clothing" on five occasions.
On 24 May 2022 he was sentenced to five years and 4 months in prison and put on the sex offenders register. Dr Laurence, who was also the safeguarding lead at his practice, said his action caused him to become "sexually aroused", a medical practitioners employment tribunal heard.
Dr Slater described his offending behaviour as "opportunistic" and the employment panel shared their concern over the very young age of the victim and the fact that Dr Slater often cared for children, in his role as a GP. In the Tribunal report, published last week (13 March), it was also noted that Dr Slater said he was fully aware that what he was doing was wrong and that it should not have happened. They added that Dr Laurence had shown limited remorse, in the face of a statement from the child which detailed the impact the the abuse had on them.
It reads: "The Tribunal considered Dr Slater’s conviction for sexual assault of Child A to be serious criminal behaviour. This was shocking behaviour particularly for a doctor in their role as a GP who was a safeguarding lead.
"Whilst it has noted that Dr Slater’s offences did not occur in the workplace, it did not consider that this mitigated in any way against the nature of the offending. The Tribunal is in no doubt that Dr Slater’s conviction for the serious offences of sexual abuse of Child A, brought the medical profession into disrepute and breached a fundamental tenet of the profession namely being trustworthy, acting with integrity and within the law. "Dr Slater accepted his criminal behaviour, pleaded guilty, accepted that he is unlikely to practise medicine in the future and had chosen to retire from his position as a General Practitioner."
The tribunal concluded that Dr Laurence's behaviour undermined public confidence in the profession and the only appropriate penalty would be erasure from the doctors register, meaning he us unable to practice as a doctor again. On 24 May 2022, Dr Slater was also sentenced 5 years and 4 months imprisonment, made subject of a sexual harm prevention order and required to sign the sex offenders register.
If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this article, you can contact Dignity4Patients, whose helpline is open Monday to Thursday 10am to 4pm.