Former West Berkshire GP found guilty of child sexual abuse but given absolute discharge due to ill health

FORMER WEST BERKSHIRE GP FOUND GUILTY OF CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE BUT GIVEN ABSOLUTE DISCHARGE DUE TO ILL HEALTH

Former West Berkshire GP Dr Robin Borthwick, a 78-year-old retired doctor, has been found by a jury to have sexually abused a young boy in the 1970s and 1980s.

The abuse occurred at a GP surgery and in two other locations, involving incidents where Borthwick touched the victim's genitals and exposed him to violent pornographic films.

The victim, who cannot be identified, described the abuse as "intensely terrifying" and detailed how it left him with ongoing issues such as paralyzing anxiety and depression, stating, "I didn't get the chance to become the person I could have been.

I am a slave to the problems the sexual abuse has created." The victim also recounted that Borthwick told him not to tell anyone, claiming he wouldn't be believed.

It was only in 2021 that he summoned the courage to report the abuse to the police.

The court heard that in 2021, Borthwick confessed to a Roman Catholic monk, Father Peter Bowe, that he had sexually assaulted a boy decades earlier, expressing remorse and regret, saying he wished to apologise to the victim but couldn't.

Due to Borthwick's ill health and inability to stand trial, he was given an absolute discharge, with Judge Neil Millard commenting, "There's no sentence I could pass that would come close to offsetting or alleviating the pain that has been caused." The judge acknowledged the victim's bravery in coming forward and expressed that the court's decision was limited by Borthwick's condition, noting his good character and lack of prior complaints.

The finding concludes a three-day trial held in his absence, with the jury convinced of the multiple instances of sexual abuse.