Women win sex attacks payout

Women win sex attacks payout

Dr William Kerr is now on the sex offenders' list

A group of women who accused a psychiatrist of serious sexual assault have been paid compensation.

The 16 women took civil action against the former Yorkshire Regional Health Authority, which employed Dr William Kerr.

They had alleged the authority failed to properly investigate their complaints made over a 30 year period.

In an out of court settlement on Tuesday they won a share of up to £300,000.

Sincere apologies

In December 2000, Kerr was found guilty at Leeds Crown Court of indecently assaulting a patient when she went to see him at a hospital in Ripon, North Yorkshire.

He was subsequently placed on the sex offenders' register.

The court found Kerr not guilty of four indecent assaults and two rapes.

A statement by the NHS organisations which inherited the case said: "We are pleased that claims lodged by some of the women who were the victims of alleged sexual assaults by William Kerr have been settled.

"On behalf of the NHS in Yorkshire, we again offer our sincerest apologies for the distress suffered by the women who were patients of Dr Kerr."

Former patient Kathy Haq said: "I feel in a way we have been believed and some responsibility has been accepted about what happened to us all those years ago."