Former Saints captain who stroked 17-year-old's breasts during GP consultation is struck off

Jon Raphael was reported to police by the girl after the appointment at The Mounts Medical Center in 2014.

The 17-year-old girl alleged that he had behaved inappropriately towards her after she sought advice following several missed periods.

A judgement published earlier this month threw out some of the allegations but upheld some of the complaints, including that Raphael took out the girl’s breasts and rubbed them.

This week the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service published the outcome of Raphael’s hearing, concluding he should be struck off the medical register.

The tribunal did not find any mitigating factors in the case and identified the following aggravating factors in Raphael’s case: the patient’s young age, the doctor’s lack of insight, his tendency to minimise or deflect responsibility for his behaviour such as passing off his sexualised comments about the patient’s breasts as “jocular”, and the adverse comments Raphael made about the patient’s background, age and intellect during the meeting.

“[The panel members] took into account of the over-arching objective, which includes the protection of the public, the maintenance of public confidence in the profession, and the promoting and maintaining of proper professional standards and conduct for members of the profession,” said Michele Codd, who chaired the tribunal.

The tribunal took account Raphael’s repeated assertions he has no intention of returning to clinical practice but the public interest required an immediate suspension as he was found to be a risk to patient safety.