By James Matthews - Sky News - 14.04.2022 -[UK] - [Krishna Singh] A GP has been convicted of sex crimes against 48 female patients spanning 35 years. The High Court in Glasgow was told that "sexual offending was part of his working life".
Victims were subjected to kissing, groping, inappropriate examinations and sleazy comments by Singh, described by prosecutors as "hiding in plain sight".
The GP, from Airdrie, had been in practice for four decades and was awarded an MBE for medical services. As well as his work as a GP, he was employed as a police casualty surgeon, which involved the examination of victims of sexual violence.
His offences were carried out between 1983 and 2018, when he was reported to the authorities by a woman, prompting an investigation. He was convicted of 54 charges, found not proven on nine others and not guilty on a further two.
The doctor committed his crimes mainly at medical practices in North Lanarkshire, but also at a hospital accident and emergency department, a police station, and during visits to patients' homes. Among the victims who gave evidence in court was a 50-year-old hospital worker who was examined by Singh at Motherwell police station in March 2008 after she reported being raped. She was left shocked after the GP quizzed her on whether sex was consensual and told jurors: "He asked me if I had been wearing a skirt and I said I was wearing a jeans and t-shirt. "He asked how low my top was and if my cleavage was showing. "He was asking if I was being provocative...he said 'so, you are not a good time girl'."
The woman's ordeal was made worse when she was molested by the GP. Another ex-patient told how Singh would "press and prod" around her pant line even if it was a check up on a sore throat. She was initially a teenager when going to see the GP and said it was a "running joke" between friends what Singh was like. But, asked now what she thought, the 39 year-old mother stated: "If that was my daughter, I would be sitting in the dock on a murder charge. No professional should act like that."
One man admitted to jurors how he threatened to assault Singh after catching him groping his then pregnant wife at an appointment in the mid-90s. The witness recalled: "Dr Singh came towards us and put his hands - palms facing up - and then squeezed her breasts two or three times. "He then said: 'Your breasts are getting big'. "I said: 'Get your hands off her...or I will punch you through the window'. He then scurried away."
In her speech to the jury, prosecutor Angela Gray said: "The Crown case is that Dr Singh was in a routine of offending against women. "Sometimes subtle or camouflaged, other times obvious and flagrant. "Sexual offending was part of his working life. Access to women as when the situation arose and taking the chances when he could.
"A quick feel, a look in an intimate area, an indecent comment. "This was his way of working, hiding in plain sight." The judge Lord Armstrong deferred sentencing for reports until next month.
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.