- Mohamed Amrani, 53, allegedly raped one victim at Harefield Hospital, London
- Married surgeon, whose wife worked in the hospital, groped three other women
- Finally reported after he patted bottom of fifth victim at private London hospitalÂ
Mohamed Amrani, 53, allegedly sexually assaulted five women at work and assumed they would not dare to complain.
One of Britain’s top heart surgeons sexually assaulted five women at work after assuming they would not dare to complain about a doctor of his ‘well-deserved renown’, a court heard.
Mohamed Amrani, 53, allegedly raped one victim in his office during a campaign of ‘sexual bullying’ at Harefield Hospital in Hillingdon, west London.
The consultant surgeon, whose wife worked part-time at Harefield, also groped three other women there over a 13 year period between 2001 and 2014.
He was finally reported to his bosses after he patted the bottom of a fifth victim at the Cromwell private hospital in Kensington, southwest London, in June 2014.
The pioneering surgeon performed the UK’s first double valve replacement using keyhole surgery in 2007 and has carried out many life-saving operations during his career.
Prosecutor Peter Clement told the Old Bailey that Armani was ‘a leading heart and transplant surgeon of well-deserved renown’.
He said: ‘Mohammed Armani was held in the highest regard by those who worked with him.
‘But there was another side to him: One who exhibited sexualised behaviour.
‘It wasn’t just banter, it was obscene and descended to assaults by way of grabbing (victims’) breasts – over and under clothing – of grabbing their genitalia; of patting another’s backside and in the case of one digitally penetrating her vagina and anus before raping her in his office at the hospital.’
Mr Clement said that most of his victims decided not to make a formal complaint at the time.
The prosecutor added: ‘His position conferred a high degree of authority, power and trust.
‘He breached all three for his own sexual gratification confident that those whom he assaulted would not dare make a formal complaint.
‘He was right in his assumption but only for a period of time.’
Giving evidence, one alleged victim said she was first attacked between 2001 and 2002. She told the Old Bailey: ‘He just reached out and grabbed my breasts.
‘I was just shocked. I just slapped him away, waved my arms around. There was plenty of room to get past him. I basically legged it out the room.’
Asked if she had made a formal complaint, she said: ‘No. I didn’t feel it would ever be taken very seriously. The surgeons are all powerful. I felt it wasn’t really worth my time.’
She added: ‘There would be a lot of shouting. Stamping his foot. He was a very very successful surgeon. He is very good at what he does.
‘Like most surgeons though, he promises the earth to his patients. But he took on many many more patients than he could physically operate on.’
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