A DOCTOR at Oxford's John Radcliffe Hospital sexually abused a patient who had come in complaining of stomach pain, a court heard.

The alleged victim of the assault told a jury yesterday how she was left feeling 'disgusted' by the abuse and had come to the hospital after coughing up blood that morning.

Anandagopal Srinivasan, who was working at Oxford's main hospital at the time, denies one count of assault by penetration.

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Prosecutors at Oxford Crown Court claim that the 27-year old of Sandfield Road, Oxford, sexually assaulted his victim while in an examination room on the morning of October 6, 2016.

Recalling her alleged ordeal yesterday she said it made her feel 'uncomfortable' and 'disgusted' and that while she was being abused there were 'tears in her eyes'.

Oxford Mail:

Outlining the case before a jury panel at the start of the trial, prosecutor Matthew Walsh said: "This case involves a woman complaining that this defendant sexually assaulted her.

"That sexual assault, she alleges, took place when she was a patient at the John Radcliffe Hospital and was being examined there by this defendant in his professional role as a doctor."

Jurors were told that the alleged victim - a Romanian woman who cannot be named for legal reasons - had been suffering weeks of stomach pain and that morning she had vomited blood.

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Some time after 10am, prosecutors said, she arrived at the hospital together with a friend and was later seen by Srinivasan.

While in that examination room - which did not have a door and was sealed by a curtain - Srinivasan is alleged to have asked her to bring down the top of her trousers before placing his hands down the woman's underwear and performing a sex act.

He then left, prosecutors claim, while another member of staff took blood from the woman, and on his return he again sexually assaulted her, while her friend was in the room.

Mr Walsh said: "In the circumstances of her examination there could never be a clinical need or clinical justification to do the acts that she alleges took place.

Oxford Mail:

"Doing that could never be justified that it was proper medical procedure given the manner of her condition. Whether it happened is the issue, not whether it was proper for a doctor to do."

Taking to the witness box to give her version of events yesterday the alleged victim told jurors that while the assault took place Srinivasan stared into her eyes.

Speaking with the aid of an interpreter she said: "I told him I had got problems with my stomach, I told him it was above my belly button.

"[He asked] to open up my trousers and get them a bit down so he could examine my stomach. He started to touch my stomach and to press it."

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She said that Srinivasan then placed his hands insider her underwear before touching her inappropriately for 'five to 10 minutes' saying nothing, but 'looking into my eyes'.

She said: "I felt uncomfortable and quite disgusted at the same time."

Jurors went on to hear that Srinivasan tried unsuccessfully to take a blood sample from her and allowed another member of staff to step in, before he sexually assaulted her again.

After this, the court heard, the woman reported what she said happened and Srinivasan was later interviewed by police, denying any wrong-doing.

Oxford Mail:

During cross examination with defence barrister Anthony Haycroft, he put to the woman that the examination only took place once and after her blood had been taken, and said that Srinivasan had only examined her stomach area as far as the 'pubic bone'.

He also asked her if at any stage she had 'pushed' him away during the examination, to which she answered that she did not.

Asked if she had been 'mistaken' about the location of his fingers because of her anxiety at her condition she told jurors she was not.

The trial, which is expected to last five days, continues.