By Sammie Jones-
A Romford doctor has appeared in court, charged with assaulting 75 of his patients.
It is alleged that 48 year old Dr Manish Shah allegedly assaulted his victims at a surgery in Havering, east London, between June 2004 and July 2013, when he was first arrested.At the Old Bailey, the family planning specialist denied 44 counts of assault by penetration and 32 counts of sexual assault.
Shah was first suspended for four months by the General Medical Council in August 2014 – a year after unspecified ‘interim conditions’ were placed on him – but his suspension has since been extended to be annual until further notice.He has recently been listed on NHS Choices as working one day a week at North Avenue Surgery in Southend-on-Sea, Essex, although none of the charges relate to his time at the Essex surgery. Evidence of Shah at the North Road Residence in Southend in the last week has been zero, and it is uncertain whether he turns up there from time to time. Dr Manish Shah, allegedly carried out the assaults at the Mawney Medical Centre in Romford, Essex, between June 2009 and July 2013., his youngest alleged victim being an under aged 15 year old girl.
Police began investigation Shah, from Romford after several people came to police in July and August 2013, accusing him of sexual assault. Shah will have the unenviable task of convincing the Old Bailey that all 75 of his alleged victims have made up the allegation for spiteful reasons, but he he will have a difficult task achieving what Bill Cosby and his very expensive lawyers failed to do- which is to vindicate a defendant against the well of evidence against him. The case will draw attention for patients to and doctors to be very careful of how they relate, and could make patients wary of some doctors if the case against mr. Shah is proven. Intimate details of the case are prohibited for legal reasons, but this is one of those cases that will capture the interest of the media as it develops and concludes.
Family and acquaintances of the alleged victims told The Eye Of Media.Com they had waited for this day for a while, those at the court were able to hear a pin drop as the case against the doctor, described by friends of the doctor as an accomplished academic who was committed to medicine.Cases like this can be very traumatizing for both the alleged victim and the defendant, especially if the defendant is actually innocent
Photograph:news.sky.com