GP JAILED FOR CONDUCTING 'MEDICALLY UNJUSTIFIED' GENITAL EXAMS ON PATIENTS

A former General Practitioner (GP) named Gregory Manson has been jailed for seven years after being convicted of conducting unnecessary genital examinations on patients, including two teenage boys. Manson, 56, was found guilty by majority verdict of 12 sexual assaults and four indecent assaults against nine men over almost two decades. Despite some patients presenting with coughs, headaches, back pain, and knee sprains, he performed genital exams that were deemed 'medically unjustified' and often without proper consent or documentation. Jurors heard that Manson pulled down patients’ underwear without asking permission, failed to wear gloves, and did not record such examinations in patient notes. Manson insisted his exams were for disease prevention and not sexually motivated, claiming they aimed to rule out rare diseases. However, the court heard evidence of a pattern of abuse, with the earliest victims being brothers, whom he examined multiple times during adolescence. The judge, Simon Taylor KC, stated Manson had 'camouflaged sexual abuse in the context of medical examinations' and had committed offenses over almost two decades. One victim described how he now refuses to visit GPs, stating Manson's actions made him feel betrayed and that he used his medical authority to abuse trust. Prosecutor Will Bodiam highlighted that many examinations were not justified, and victims described discomfort and lack of consent. Manson, who qualified as a GP in 1998 after working in South Africa, previously worked as a trainer, director of GP training, and GP appraiser before his dismissal in 2017. He claims his conduct was not sexually motivated but rather aimed at thorough examination. The court’s verdict confirms Manson’s abuse of trust for his sexual gratification, which a judge described as 'nearly two decades’ worth of offending'.