A PERVERTED doctor who sexually assaulted female patients as young as eight over a 10-year period has been sentenced to just two years in jail.

Doctor Markandu Ragupathy, of Den Close, Beckenham, preyed on vulnerable patients, touching them for his own sexual gratification, while he worked at Catford's Torridon Road practice.

But incredibly, despite complaints about his behaviour from the mid-90s, the doctor was allowed to carry on working and his offences continued until 2005.

Woolwich Crown Court heard how one eight-year-old who came in with abdomen pain had her thigh touched by Ragupathy before he put his hand under her knickers.

When the child's mother complained she received a letter back saying the doctor's treatment had been appropriate.

On other occasions the 61-year-old touched women's breasts, either with his hands or kneading them with a stethoscope.

He also visited one woman at her home, persuading her to sit on his knee.

Judge Andrew Lees told him: "These eight female patients trusted you as their doctor to carry out proper examinations.

"You abused that trust by touching them in sexual ways."

He added: "When complaints were made to the surgery you would explain that the concern felt by the patients was the result of misunderstanding."

Ragupathy had been convicted on April 4 of seven indecent assaults, an attempted indent assault and sexual assault.

On May 31, he was given a two-year sentence for his assault on the eight-year-old, with concurrent one-year sentences for all the other counts.

A spokesman for NHS South East London, Lewisham's health trust, said: "NHS South East London welcomes today’s sentencing of Dr Markandu Ragupathy.

"Dr Markandu Ragupathy has not worked as a GP since his suspension by Lewisham Primary Care Trust in March 2009."

"Dirty old man"

Former patient David Mawson slammed the sentence, saying: "What a rubbish and pathetic sentence for a pervert. He'll be free in 12 months or less no doubt."

Mr Mawson told News Shopper he raised concerns about the doctor's behaviour with the practice five years ago but never heard anything back from them.

He said: "The distressed patients clearly had no confidence in the management of the practice and their complaints were swept under the carpet. It's outrageous."

Mr Mawson added: "Although I never experienced any serious problems during my numerous consultations with him, I was concerned at the number of times he would chat to me about women during my consultations.

"As a gay man I was not interested and I remember one time I called him a dirty old man. He just laughed this off."