Doctor cleared of sex assault at the John Radcliffe Hospital

Dr Anandagopal Srinivasan, who was working at Oxford's main hospital at the time of the alleged assault, had always denied the single count of assault by penetration.

Taking to the witness box to profess his innocence during his trial he told jurors the incident on October 6, 2016, had been a 'routine abdominal examination' and that nothing untoward had ever happened with his patient.

After less than one hour of deliberations yesterday the jury panel at Oxford Crown Court found him not guilty of the single charge.

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Throughout the trial this week prosecutors had claimed that the 27-year old Sandfield Road, Oxford, had sexually assaulted a woman after she came to the hospital with stomach pain.

The woman - who cannot be named for legal reasons - took to the witness box to allege that Dr Srinivasan had been in an examination room with her and her friend when he began pressing on her stomach, before placing his hands down her underwear.

She claimed that he then touched her inappropriately before doing this a second time after another member of staff had taken blood from her.

Dr Srinivasan, who was a junior doctor at the hospital, denied any wrong-doing taking place in the examination room, which was sealed by a curtain and had no door.

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Answering questions during cross examination Dr Srinivasan said that the woman was 'mistaken' at what had happened and the examination had been purely routine.

He told jurors he had checked her abdominal area but he had never gone below the 'pubic bone'.

After the unanimous verdict had been given Dr Srinivasan was duly released from the dock.