A DISGRACED family doctor from Doncaster, jailed for molesting seven of his women patients, has been ordered to pay them a total of £38,000 in compensation.
When a judge imprisoned GP Dr Gousul Islam for 11 years he said it was ‘the worst case of its kind’ involving a professional man he had seen in 40 years.
The 70-year-old GP was brought back to court for a new hearing where his barrister argued it was ‘unjust and unfair’ to impose any compensation award on top of his ‘severe’ jail term.
But Judge Simon Lawler said he had ‘no hesitation’ in rejecting that argument, and praised the women for speaking out, awarding three of the victims £10,000 each for their pain and suffering.
He told Sheffield Crown Court: “This was on any view an exceptional case in terms of the extent of the period of abuse and the dreadful effect it had on some of the complainants.”
In his consulting room at a Stainforth surgery, Islam serially groped and touched teenage girls and young women under the pretext of examinations.
The married doctor also asked the women to undress in his presence without a screen, and lie on his treatment couch without a blanket or towel to protect their modesty.
He was found guilty after a six-week trial of 18 offences of indecent assault against seven women patients at the Lyndhurst surgery in Stainforth, from January, 1970, to June, 1995.
The women, who cannot be named, were not present in court for the new hearing which is mandatory under new legislation if the judge feels compensation is appropriate.
Another woman whom the GP regularly abused in her teens was awarded £5,000.
Dr Islam asked her to ‘strip off and go upstairs with him’.
The judge said the comments were ‘embarrassing and hurtful’.
Three more women were awarded £1,500, £1,000 and £750 respectively after being left ‘shocked and distressed’ according to the judge.
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