Doctor denies string of sexual assault allegations

A North Cork doctor accused of sexually assaulting a teenager when she came to him as a patient testified yesterday that it never happened.

Kevin Mulcahy, aged 57, of Cregane, Lombardstown, Mallow, pleaded not guilty at Cork Circuit Criminal Court to charges of sexually assaulting her at his surgery when she was a patient aged 17/18. She is now in her mid-30s.

“The difficulty one has if you are in my position as a singlehanded GP [is that] anyone who wanted to make an allegation — there was nothing I could do about it.

“If I had thought of where I am now, I would never have gotten into general practice,” he said.

Blaise O’Carroll, defending, put to him the allegations made by the complainant. Mr Mulcahy denied doing anything of a sexual nature and repeatedly stated it never happened.

Mr O’Carroll said because of unhygienic conditions in the complainant’s house, she alleged Dr Mulcahy invited her to his house for a shower and that when she came out of the shower with one towel he put another towel over her. He said yesterday: “She did not have a shower in my house, in my bathroom. I did not put a towel of any description around her.”

Her claim that the doctor asked her take off her clothes on another occasion in his surgery and that he felt her breasts when she complained of a chest infection was put to him. He said: “I would have no reason [to say] take off your clothes and I will examine you. That was not my practice, policy, or procedure.”

She said that on other occasions he would sit on his desk and rub her front against his front, rocking himself back and forward, and appearing to be in an excited state. Mr Mulcahy said: “I am sorry now, but that is absolute rubbish. It did not happen, it never happened, and she did not come to the surgery on a regular basis. I saw [name] no more than a handful of occasions.”

She had stated: “He exposed his penis to me. He caught my hand and got me to touch his penis.”

Dr Mulcahy replied: “Never happened. Absolutely never happened.”

A consultant psychiatrist provided medical evidence yesterday saying while the complainant suffered from a bipolar condition, she had made excellent progress, was compliant with medication and treatments, and had not been hospitalised in five years.

The trial continues.