Stephen Cox

Stephen Cox, a disgraced general practitioner from Bracknell, was convicted of multiple sexual offences against his patients spanning nearly a decade. Between 1988 and 1997, Cox, who operated from a practice in Bracknell and had previously worked in locations including Wokingham, Burton-on-Trent, Wolverhampton, Derby, Leicestershire, Telford, and West Sussex, exploited his position of trust to indecently assault seven women during what were supposed to be routine medical examinations.

The offences came to light following complaints, leading to a month-long trial at Reading Crown Court. Cox was found guilty on 12 charges related to the assaults, though he was cleared of four charges concerning one alleged victim. The court heard detailed accounts of how Cox manipulated vulnerable patients, persuading them to undress unnecessarily, pressing his body against theirs, and touching their breasts without any medical justification. Judge Sarah Campbell, presiding over the sentencing, described Cox as the 'worst kind of sexual predator,' emphasising that he deliberately targeted women he believed would be less likely to complain.

In October 2024, Cox was sentenced to 22 years in prison. Now retired and struck off the medical register, his criminal history also included earlier misconduct. In October 2010, regulators suspended him from practising for nine months after finding he had acted in a 'sexually motivated' manner with two patients and a trainee at a practice in Handcross, West Sussex. These instances involved placing a hand inside a patient's bra, thrusting his body against a woman's bottom, and deliberately touching a medical student's leg and arm. A regulatory panel noted that although Cox claimed to be 'devastated' by the complaints, he failed to demonstrate empathy for the women affected.

Cox's legal team, represented by Michael Rawlinson, appealed the sentence, arguing it was 'excessive.' However, the Court of Appeal, comprising Lady Justice Andrew, Mrs Justice Cutts, and Mrs Justice Thornton, dismissed the bid this week, ruling that the punishment was not 'manifestly excessive' and describing the abuse as 'shocking.' The case was reported by the Reading Chronicle, with an image provided by Thames Valley Police.