Locations
Malham Close, Friern Barnet, North London, N11
Description
A former doctor has been jailed for 15-and-a-half years for subjecting a young girl to appalling sexual abuse spanning over a decade.
Lalitkumar Nirmal, 79, traumatised a young girl, who was then under 14, to a campaign of sexual abuse in different parts of the country between 1975 and 1986.
The abuse took place in various locations including Croydon, Sydenham in east London and Cwmbran in Wales.
During the time of offending, Nirmal was a GP in a practice in the south Welsh town.
The victim, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was known to Nirmal but was not a patient.
In relation to her, Nirmal admitted eight counts of indecent assault on a girl under the age of 14 years and four counts of gross indecency with a girl under the age of 14 years.
He was also convicted of a single count of indecent assault against another young girl he knew.
Anjie Bowen, Senior Crown Prosecutor at the Crown Prosecution Services Rape and Serious Sexual Offences unit, said: Lalitbhai Nirmal carried out a sustained campaign of sexual abuse, whilst hiding behind a veneer of respectability as a doctor and trusted local GP.
His vulnerable victims have been left devastated by the harmful impact of his offending on their lives.
His actions were predatory and despicable.
One of Nirmals victims endured appalling abuse at his hands for a decade, throughout a large portion of her childhood.
Reports were first made to police in October 2019.
In August 2020, the sex offender was interviewed under caution and he was charged in May the following year.
Nirmal was registered as a GP with the General Medical Council between 1972 and 1995.
DS Mark Morris, from South East BCU CID, said: I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks and gratitude to the victims in this case, who have been extremely courageous in coming forward to police and recounting the trauma of the years of abuse they suffered because of Nirmal.
One cant even begin to imagine the impact, both physical and mental, such sustained abuse will have had and I hope todays sentence will give some sense of closure and peace.
We know that Nirmal was a GP in the 1980s in the Torfaen area of Wales. Whilst the victims were not patients of his, we must consider the possibility that he abused this position of trust to hurt others.
As such, I would appeal for anyone with information they believe could be relevant to contact the police on 101.
Any information passed will be dealt with in the strictest of confidence and handled by a specialist team with significant experience in dealing with offences of this nature.
Nirmal, of Malham Close, Friern Barnet, north London, denied but was convicted of indecent assault and admitted eight counts of indecent assault on a girl under the age of 14 years and four counts of gross indecency with a girl under the age of 14 years.