Stephen Cox: Berkshire GP found guilty of indecent assaults on female patients during medical check-ups
A former family doctor has been found guilty of indecently assaulting seven of his female patients under the guise of routine medical examinations in Berkshire.
Stephen Cox, 65, was convicted of 12 counts of indecent assault after a four-week retrial at Reading Crown Court, according to Thames Valley Police. He was acquitted of four other charges.
Cox, who practised as a GP in Bracknell during the 1980s and 1990s, repeatedly assaulted his patients over a number of years. Thames Valley Police said the assaults occurred before the use of computerised healthcare records, meaning the investigation relied heavily on handwritten GP notes.
Despite the gravity of the allegations, Cox, from Stockton Mill, Welshpool, Shropshire, claimed he did not remember any of the patients and denied any wrongdoing. He argued that the incidents were either misunderstandings, accidents, or false allegations. However, the jury found him guilty of all but four charges.
Detective Constable Sara Di Giorgio, the investigating officer, described Cox as having "betrayed the trust of his patients" and commended the bravery of his victims for coming forward.
“These offences occurred many years ago, over a period of time in the 1980s and 1990s," she said. "Dr Stephen Cox’s victims had the courage to come forward to report these offences, and I am pleased that the jury carefully considered the evidence and came to what is absolutely the correct conclusion."
Di Giorgio added: “Cox’s patients had every right to feel safe and to trust him, but he completely betrayed this trust, embarking on a series of indecent assaults which his victims have had to live with for many decades.
"He has never displayed an ounce of remorse for what he had done, and has constantly denied any wrongdoing, this despite a number of women, none of whom know each other, coming forward to report what he had done to them.”
She also said police are keeping the investigation open, suggesting that Cox could have more victims, given his long career as a GP in multiple locations.
She said: “He is a prolific and predatory sex offender hiding beneath the mask of being a trusted doctor, and I hope that the outcome of this case will give the victims some justice. We are keeping an open mind as to the possibility that Cox has committed other offences during his career.”
Cox practised in several areas throughout his career, including Burton-on-Trent, Wolverhampton, Derby, Measham in Leicestershire, Wokingham, Ouse Valley in West Sussex, and Telford.
Di Giorgio encouraged anyone who believes they may have been a victim of Cox to contact police. She added: “I would encourage anybody who believes that they may have been a victim of Cox to come forward, contacting us on 101 or via our website, quoting Operation Kurtosis.
“You will be listened to, and any information you provide will be treated in the strictest confidence.” Cox is scheduled to be sentenced on Monday.