Defence says it was ‘ghastly misunderstanding’

A doctor has been cleared of the “crucifyingly unlikely” accusation that he molested a female patient.

Adel Elalfy, a GP with 20 years experience, was found not guilty at Blackfriars Crown Court after a disabled woman claimed he rubbed her clitoris and inserting a finger inside the lip of her vagina during an examination at a surgery in Bingfield Street, Islington.

Untreated

The victim, who was suffering from a suspected urinary tract infection, had told the court Dr Elalfy – a visiting locum doctor from Stafford – twice touched her intimately before asking a series of personal questions and sending her home untreated.

But James Leonard, defending, told Blackfriars Crown Court the whole situation could be a “ghastly misunderstanding”. He said: “What is being alleged here is hopelessly out of character.

“There is no reason to suspect there is a bone in his body capable of what is being suggested here.

“Why is it that a 48-year-old, outstanding, patient focussed doctor – a professional family man – should suddenly decide to take it upon himself to obtain sexual gratification by intimately assaulting someone with this disease, who is apparently suffering from a urinary tract infection, by shoving his hand not once, but twice inside her knickers and managing to find her clitoris for the purpose of achieving sexual contact?

“Why not do a vaginal examination if that’s what he wanted to achieve?

“It is crucifyingly unlikely this happened at all.”

The victim suffers from a long-term degenerative brain disease and walks with a crutch.

Mr Leonard claims that this condition could have a bearing on the trial because it had resulted in numbness below the waist in the past.

He said: “[The victim] has a history of altered sensation in what is generally referred to as the saddle area, the vagina and anus.”

Absurd

The allegation that Elalfy assaulted her on two separate occasions lacked credibility, he said.

He said: “Once is absurd, twice is a suicide mission that defies all common sense.

“Does he strike you as that kind of risk taker?

“Can we be sure this wasn’t the result of some ghastly misunderstanding?”