Gregory Manson

A former general practitioner (GP) from Canterbury has been sentenced to seven years in prison for a series of sexual offences committed against male patients during unnecessary genital examinations. Gregory Manson, aged 56, exploited his position of trust to perform intimate exams on patients who sought treatment for unrelated conditions such as coughs, headaches, back pain, and knee sprains. The offences, which spanned almost two decades, involved nine victims, including two teenage boys who were brothers.

Manson qualified as a GP in 1998 and initially worked in South Africa before practising in the UK, where he also served as a GP trainer, programme director for GP training, and appraiser for the General Medical Council. He was dismissed in 2017 following his suspension, during which he continued to receive 90% of his NHS salary until it was halved in November 2023 and ceased in 2024. At Canterbury Crown Court, Judge Simon Taylor KC described Manson's actions as camouflaging sexual abuse within the context of medical examinations, stating: "For almost the entirety of your medical career you periodically and opportunistically abused male patients." The judge emphasised the immense abuse of trust, noting that patients entrusted Manson with access to their bodies, only for him to use it for his own sexual gratification.

• Manson was convicted of 12 counts of sexual assault and 4 counts of indecent assault.
• He denied 18 sexual assault charges and 6 indecent assault charges but was found not guilty on six offences, with two others being alternative charges not requiring verdicts.
• Victims reported that Manson pulled down their underwear without permission and failed to explain the procedures, offer consent options, provide chaperones, or record the examinations in patient notes.

One victim read a personal impact statement in court, expressing profound betrayal: "What still stuns me is how normal you made all of this seem. It was calculated, it was deliberate and we now know it was abuse." He added that Manson's actions taught him that "help isn’t always safe, that authority can betray, and trust can be dangerous." The prosecution, led by Jennifer Knight KC, argued that many of the examinations were not medically justified, stating: "In truth Dr Manson took frequent opportunities to examine patients’ genitals, not because he needed to but because he wanted to." Will Bodiam from the Crown Prosecution Service highlighted the appalling abuse of trust, noting that victims felt discomfort and actively avoided seeing Manson due to prior experiences.

The court heard that the earliest victims were brothers treated by Manson before and after they turned 16. Despite constructing a false medical defence, Manson's exploitative behaviour betrayed not only his patients but the wider medical profession. The sentencing took place on Friday at Canterbury Crown Court, marking the end of a trial that exposed nearly 20 years of offending.