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Guilty: Jurors find paedophile West Berkshire GP Robin Borthwick abused young boy




A JURY has ruled that a West Berkshire GP groomed and abused a boy in his bedroom, car and surgery.

But Dr Robin Borthwick will escape punishment because of his dementia.

Dr Robin Borthwick with complainant
Dr Robin Borthwick with complainant

His victim was robbed of the chance to address the medic in court after three health professionals advised he was medically unfit to stand trial.

Dr Robin Borthwick, pictured with the boy in the 1970s, was a respected GP with surgeries in Calcot, Bradfield, Pangbourne and Theale.

Today, Friday, October 20, a Reading Crown Court jury found the allegations proved following a ‘trial of facts.’

See below for an account of the trial.

Meanwhile his victim, now in his 50s, released the following statement: “I was sexually abused by Robin Borthwick on multiple occasions between nine and fourteen years of age.

“I kept this secret for over thirty five years.

“The long term damage to my life has been profound.

“For as long as I can remember I have had suicidal thoughts.

“Being the victim of a paedophile is an unrelenting, constant battle for survival.

“Robin Borthwick took what he wanted from me, he sexually abused me for his own selfish gratification.

“I did exactly what I was told.

“I had no choice.

“In his confession to a witness he stated that he thought ‘I would enjoy it’.

“That is a chilling, repugnant statement.

“It has taken me many years to summon the courage to come forward.

“My motivation is to break the silence and tell the truth, and in so doing is a hope that I may give a voice to other victims of sexual offences.

“I would like to thank the Crown Prosecution Service and Thames Valley Police for their professionalism and diligence in bringing this man to justice.

“In particular I’d like to thank Det Con Joanna Williams for her unwavering encouragement, persistence and hard work.

“But most importantly, I’d like to thank my friends and family, without whose love and support I’d given up long ago.”

Det Con Joanna Williams said: “I’m pleased that the truth is now out that Dr Robin Borthwick indecently assaulted a boy over a prolonged period during the 1970s and 1980s.

“The victim has shown incredible courage during the investigation and trial, during which he had to recount the most traumatic moments of his life when he was indecently assaulted by Borthwick. He has also bravery by telling his truth to the public in order to give encouragement to other victims of sexual offences to have their voices heard.”

Borthwick, who lives with his wife Helen in Southend Road, Bradfield Southend, was excused attendance at the trial because of his condition.

He was given an absolute discharge following the jury’s verdicts and his victim, who had wanted to look his abuser in the eye, was unable to do so.

Charles Ward-Jackson, opening the case for the prosecution on Wednesday, October 18, said Borthwick was living in Bradfield Southend and working in Calcot as a GP when he befriended his victim’s family.

He would shower the boy with gifts, including a bicycle, a radio and trips to the zoo.

One night, during a sleepover, the GP entered the boy’s bedroom, ordered him to remove his pyjama bottoms and indecently assault him, said Mr Ward-Jackson.

The abuse continued throughout the 1970s and 1980s in bedrooms, the GP’s car and even in his surgery.

The boy was “mortified” by the abuse but compartmentalised it in his mind, jurors were told.

The GP allegedly told him to keep it secret and warned: “No one will believe you anyway.”

Giving evidence, the complainant, now in his 50s, said the first time it happened, “I thought he was coming to read me a bedtime story.”

He added: “He said he needed to look at me...I remember his breathing becoming heavy.

“I remember his aftershave...I remember his hairy arms – and I remember being terrified.

“I was left wondering what had happened...I knew what had happened wasn’t right so I clutched my teddy and cried myself to sleep.”

On another occasion Borthwick took the child to his surgery and drew the blinds.

The complainant said: “It was in Pangbourne, I think...I knew exactly what was going to happen next.”

The abuse continued until the boy was 14 when Borthwick showed him a violent pornographic film of a woman being gang raped before molesting him.

The complainant told the jury: “I can honestly say that was the lowest point of all; I just wanted everything to end.

“I cried myself to sleep.”

After decades battling depression and suicidal thoughts, the court heard, the complainant sought counselling and reported the abuse to police in July, 2021.

Following his arrest, Borthwick confessed his guilt to a priest at Douai Abbey in Woolhampton, Father Peter Bowe, the court heard.

Fr Bowe, a former parish priest in Woolhampton, Pangbourne and Theale, told jurors that, following a mass in February 2022, Dr Borthwick confessed he had "touched a boy.”

Her added: “He asked could he have a word.

“He wanted to tell me that the police had been to see him and had told him that there was an alleged incident of sexual abuse by him many years before.

“He told me that in confidence, but not in the sacrament of confession, under seal.

“He said he had done it once and highly regretted it.

“He knew it was legally and morally wrong and he was liable for comeback on it.”

The jury found the facts concerning four counts of sexual abuse committed during the 1970s and 1980s, proved.



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