UK medical authorities have struck off a South African doctor, Nicholas Chapman, after finding that he put his semen into a woman’s hot beverages.
The 57-year-old, who studied at the University of Cape Town, committed the offences while practising in Somerset, England.
According to The Mirror, Gloucester Crown Court found Chapman guilty of one count of sexual conduct without consent.
The court sentenced him to a community order after evidence revealed that he had stored hundreds of semen samples and deliberately placed them in the victim’s drinks.
Victim Describes Discovery of Suspicious Substance
The victim told the court that she first noticed something was off when she drank a “salty” coffee.
After that, she began discarding the drinks and spotted a thick, gloopy substance left in the sink.
“I didn’t know what it was. I didn’t suspect it could have been semen at that point. He was bringing me drinks regularly, probably one to three cups of coffee a week,” she said.
“Since that occasion, I started tipping them away. I saw a strange substance in the sink each time, in different sizes and quantities. I’ve seen it at least six times. I haven’t drunk anything since the first time.”
Hospital Suspends Doctor During Investigation
The Somerset-based health facility suspended Chapman after the allegations came to light.
He attempted to explain the presence of semen by claiming he suffered from a rare medical condition that caused him to release semen while defecating.
Chapman Denies Responsibility, Blames Prank
Chapman insisted that someone else must have tampered with the cups as a prank.
“I don’t know why someone used my sample like that, I don’t know who did it or why,” he said in his defence.
Despite his claims, the court found his conduct deliberate and sexually motivated, leading to his immediate removal from the UK’s medical register.
What safeguards should medical institutions have in place to detect and prevent abuse of trust by healthcare professionals?
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