GP sexually assaulted patients.

Former Guildford GP's Conviction for Sexually Assaulting 15 Patients Upheld

Alan Tutin, a former Guildford GP who sexually assaulted 15 patients, including a 12-year-old girl, has failed in his attempt to overturn his conviction. The 71-year-old was found guilty of 15 counts of sexual assault in December 2018 following a trial at the Old Bailey and sentenced to 10 years and six months in prison in May 2019.

The Court of Appeal dismissed Tutin's appeal on March 17, 2020. During his trial, it was revealed that Tutin had sexually assaulted women and girls over a 23-year period between 1981 and 2004. Most of these offenses took place at the Merrow Park Practice, where Tutin worked as a GP from 1980.

The prosecution argued that Tutin's assaults were carried out under the guise of breast or vaginal examinations, which were deemed unnecessary or conducted inappropriately for sexual gratification. Tutin was initially charged with 28 counts of sexual assault, but he was acquitted of eight. The jury could not reach a verdict on the remaining five charges, leading to a retrial in May 2019. Tutin was subsequently acquitted of three of the remaining charges.

The allegations against Tutin first surfaced in 2000 when he faced trial at the Old Bailey for indecently assaulting three women and two children. He was acquitted of assaulting one of the children, and the other charges were dropped. A year later, he was acquitted of eight counts of sexually assaulting patients by a General Medical Council (GMC) tribunal. In 2009, he was struck off the medical register after a separate GMC panel found him guilty of sexually assaulting five women.

The investigation that led to Tutin's conviction began in March 2014, and he was arrested in July of the same year. Several complainants came forward after being contacted by police. Tutin was eventually charged with 28 counts of sexual assault involving 25 complainants.

During his sentencing hearing, one of Tutin's victims spoke about the impact of his abuse, saying: "My initial response was a sense of being abused, violated and feeling dirty, and wanting a shower. I was only young so was upset and confused by what he did. I trusted him as a doctor and was brought up to respect authority and do as I was told, which is what I did."