GP jailed for 12 years for sexually abusing patients

A GP from North Lanarkshire has been jailed for 12 years after he got convicted of a campaign of sexual abuse for nearly 40 years.

Krishna Singh, 72, kissed, groped, gave inappropriate examinations, and made sleazy comments to forty-seven patients in various medical settings.

In April, he was convicted of fifty-four sex offences against women and girls over 35 years.

The patients included a rape victims, teenage kids, and pregnant females.

His trial at Glasgow High Court of Justiciary revealed that Krishna Singh was a sexual predator "hiding in plain sight".

It led to a full public enquiry into why the authorities did not stop his behaviour sooner.

The judge described the GP's serial offending between February 1983 and May 2018 as "calculated and manipulative".

Lord Armstrong said to Krishna Singh, "You abused this position to carry out unnecessary physical examinations of a sexual nature, including examinations without a chaperone and in circumstances where there were no clinical justifications for your actions.

"You undermined the standing of the medical profession and eroded the trust of female patients."

The judge noted he had not expressed regret as he had not accepted responsibility.

Lord Armstrong added, "Society is abhorrent to such conduct, and the court must reflect that as it is important people who commit these crimes in the way you did know they'll be brought to justice."

The GP awarded an MBE in 2013 has denied all charges.

After his conviction, the police confirmed that four more women had complained about Singh, whose practice was in Coatbridge Health Centre. Officers said the protests that had so far been made were "the tip of the iceberg".

Detective Inspector Stephen Morris described Krishna Singh's behaviour as "appalling and predatory" and praised the women who came forward.

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

Meanwhile, Laura Connor, a partner at Thompsons Solicitors who stood for some of Krishna Singh's victims, said his conviction should not be the end of the matter.

"Questions must now be asked about how this sexual predator hid in plain sight for so long while carrying out his crimes," she added.

"The victims and the wider community deserve nothing less than a full public inquiry into why the authorities didn't put a stop to Krishna Singh sooner."

Last month, the firm said it would start civil proceedings against the relevant authorities to secure compensation for victims.

Four more women have complained about Krishna Singh since he got convicted.

Singh became a GP in Coatbridge in the early 1980s and served as a police casualty surgeon, examining sexual violence victims.

An investigation was launched into his behaviour when a woman reported him to Police Scotland in 2018.

A letter was sent to all patients at the practice to see if they could help with the police inquiry.

One of the witnesses who gave evidence was a 50-year-old hospital worker who reported that she was raped.

Krishna Singh examined her at Motherwell Police Station in March 2008.

The woman said the GP asked her whether she had been wearing a skirt and whether sex was consensual. She said he went on to molest her.

She told the court, "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 fun time girl"."

Another woman who saw Krishna Singh while she was a teenager said he would "press and prod" around her pant line during appointments on a sore throat.

She said his behaviour became a "running joke" between her friends.

The woman said, "If that were my daughter, I would be sitting in the dock on a murder charge. No professional should act like that."

Krishna Singh's practice was at Coatbridge Health Centre.

A man told the court he threatened to assault Krishna Singh after catching him groping his wife, who was pregnant, at an appointment in the mid-1990s.

Many women became so uncomfortable seeing the GP that they brought a friend or compared to appointments.

One woman tried to make her medication last longer to stall having to go back and see him.

The jury heard that victims often hesitated to report Krishna Singh over the years.

Women felt they would not be heard as Krishna Singh was latterly senior partner at the surgery, and his wife was practice manager.

Prosecutor Angela Grey told the trial that Singh was in a routine of abusing his position to offend women.

She said, "Sexual offending was part of his working life. Access to women when the situation arose and taking the chances when he could."

Doctor Linda Findlay, the medical director for South Lanarkshire Health and Social Care Partnership, said Singh's actions were a "despicable breach of trust and total abuse of the patient-doctor relationship".

Singh was also put on the sex offenders register indefinitely.

The General Medical Council confirmed Krishna Singh was currently "interim suspended" pending the conclusion of an investigation.

The Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service imposed the interim suspension.