In short:
A hearing has concluded in a Tasmanian court over indecent assault allegations made by a patient against a former GP.
asserted
hearing → conclude → GP
Former Tasmanian doctor Michael Anthony Welch has pleaded not guilty and has denied the allegations.
What's next?
asserted
What → plead → allegations
Magistrate Jackie Hartnett will hand down her findings in court in December.
asserted
Hartnett → hand → December
A patient who was allegedly indecently assaulted by his GP two decades ago has told a Tasmanian court that he was frightened of reporting the incident at the time.
uncertain
he → assault → time
The hearing for retired doctor Michael Anthony Welch, 65, was before the Hobart Magistrates Court on Friday.
asserted
hearing → retire → Friday
Mr Welch practised as a GP in Tasmania from 1984 until his retirement in 2019.
asserted
Welch → practise → 2019
Last year, he was extradited from New South Wales to face three indecent assault charges.
asserted
he → extradite → charges
Mr Welch pleaded not guilty to the charges.
asserted
Welch → plead → charges
In his opening statement, prosecutor Adam Godleman said the first two charges related to a complainant who was allegedly assaulted twice during a consult in late 2004 or early 2005, when he was 18 or 19 years old.
uncertain
he → open → 2004
Mr Welch has denied these allegations.
asserted
Welch → deny → allegations
Complainant alleges he was 'frozen, eyes wide'
asserted
eyes → allege → ?
Mr Godleman said the first charge related to a groin assessment, where the complainant was standing and Mr Welch was seated, and the second charge involved the young man lying on the bed while his penis was assessed.
asserted
penis → say → bed
The complainant told the court that he went to Mr Welch because he was known as an LGBTQI+ friendly doctor.
asserted
he → tell → doctor
"It was quite well known in the gay community that there was a gay doctor you could go to,"he said.
uncertain
you → know → community
He said the alleged assaults occurred when he attended for a "sexual health check-up".
asserted
he → say → up
The complainant described that when he stood up for the first examination, Mr Welch indecently touched his genitals over the top of his underwear and flicked the waistband.
asserted
Welch → describe → waistband
He went on to say that when he was lying on the bed, Mr Welch allegedly began stroking his genitals.
uncertain
Welch → go → genitals
"[I was] shocked … frozen, eyes quite wide," he said.
"He said to me, 'You're so cute, you're going to get me into trouble, I have to stop'."
asserted
I → shock → trouble
The complainant said he didn't say or do anything while the allegations unfolded.
asserted
allegations → say → anything
During the cross-examination by Mr Welch's lawyer, David Edwardson KC, the complainant was asked why he had waited until 2023 to report the incident to the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA).
asserted
he → ask → Agency
"I was genuinely frightened," he said.
asserted
he → frighten → ?
I did not think anyone would believe me.
asserted
anyone → think → me
Who is going to believe an 18–19-year-old guy over a doctor?"
asserted
Who → go → doctor
Doctor denies allegations
During his evidence, Mr Welch denied the allegations and denied making any inappropriate comments.
asserted
Welch → deny → comments
Mr Welch said the complainant had asked for a sexual health examination, which he provided in a professional way.
asserted
he → say → way
"It was all within [the] constraints of a normal examination," he said.
asserted
he → say → examination
He said he had no sexual interest in the complainant and was not attracted to him.
asserted
he → say → him
He said that during the examination on the bed, he was looking at the complainant to gauge whether he was in pain or discomfort.
asserted
he → say → pain
"If someone felt like they were not happy with the outcome, they would feel comfortable to raise that," he told the court.
asserted
he → feel → that
In his closing submissions, Mr Edwardson said the complainant's evidence was "bristling" with reasonable doubt.
asserted
evidence → say → doubt
He said the complainant had told AHPRA in 2023 that he had gone to see Mr Welch for a sexual health assessment, including an STI screening.
asserted
he → say → screening
"When pressed [during evidence], it became obvious there was no testing for STIs," he said.
asserted
he → press → STIs
The complainant's cousin also gave evidence in court that he had told her about the incident shortly after it allegedly occurred.
uncertain
it → give → incident
Mr Edwardson highlighted in his closing statement that there were inconsistencies between their two statements: the cousin said the complainant was examined and grabbed under his underwear while standing, while the complainant said it was over his underwear.
asserted
it → highlight → underwear
Man's penis groped during ear piercing
The third charge of indecent assault related to when Mr Welch was piercing the second complainant's ear.
Mr Welch told the court he began providing professional piercing services in the early 2000s.
Mr Welch denied the allegation that when a part of the piercing fell into the man's lap, he groped the man's penis and testicles.
asserted
he → grope → penis
The matter will return to court in December, when Magistrate Jackie Hartnett is expected to hand down her findings.
asserted
Hartnett → return → findings
The Aporia