A prominent Newcastle doctor is currently fronting court charged with sexually assaulting numerous female patients at his clinic in the city’s east.
At this stage, immunologist and GP Jeremy Coleman is facing 12 charges relating to the assault of nine victims, however detectives are speaking to 80 women who have come forward with allegations against the 63-year-old.
The majority of the complainants claim they were assaulted between 2003 and 2012, however one allegation dates as far back as 1986. That victim was just 11 years old at the time of her alleged assault.
Coleman handed himself in to police in March, after authorities raided his Watt St clinic and seized patient reports, a computer and DVDs, according to The Newcastle Herald. After being charged, he accepted a voluntary ban from practising medicine and has had his passport confiscated.
Coleman’s arrest came 18 months after the establishment of Strike Force Yatala, which was formed in November 2014 response to complaints that Coleman had performed “sexual acts and indecent acts” against a number of women.
According a spokesperson from the Medical Council of NSW, Coleman was initially subjected to strict conditions while police assessed the allegations.
“During the earlier period of investigation by the police, Coleman had been permitted to practise, with the safeguard imposed on his registration by the Medical Council in 2014 that necessitated the presence of a chaperone when seeing female patients,” he said.
Coleman is yet to enter a plea, but his lawyer told the media that he is planning to defend the charges.
