In the quiet authority of a doctor's consulting room — a space built on trust and vulnerability — something is alleged to have gone profoundly wrong over the span of nearly four decades. Andrew Small, a 70-year-old Sydney general practitioner, now faces criminal charges of sexually assaulting multiple female patients, with allegations stretching from 1988 to 2026. The case raises not only questions of individual culpability, but of the systems meant to protect those who seek care — systems that, in 2012, were alerted and yet did not intervene.
Sydney GP charged with sexual assault of multiple patients granted bail
Multiple female patients allegedly sexually assaulted over decades; one victim reported assault during treatment for stomach pain; a fifth victim disclosed abuse beginning at age 15.
Falls well outside of what ordinary practice would be
Mark
How did this come to light now, after so long?
Mimi
The source material doesn't say. We know he was arrested Thursday and charged, but not what triggered the investigation or who first reported him.
Luke
That's a real gap. Was there a complaint? A whistleblower? A pattern someone finally connected? We don't know.
Mark
The 2012 investigation troubles me. What happened there?
Mimi
The court heard he was investigated by the Health Care Complaints Commission but was allowed to keep practising. That's all we have.
Luke
Exactly. We don't know what that investigation found, whether complaints were upheld, what conditions were imposed, or why he wasn't suspended. That's a separate story.
Mark
The fifth victim—she was 15 when it started?
Mimi
Yes. She came forward after the arrest was made public Thursday evening. She says offences occurred since 2006.
Luke
So she's now in her mid-30s at minimum. We don't know if she reported it at the time, or if she's coming forward for the first time now.
Mark
What does the judge actually think?
Mimi
He said the offences are serious and concerning, but the case isn't overwhelming yet. He granted bail anyway.
Luke
The judge is being careful. He's not saying the case is weak—he's saying it's not airtight. That's different. We don't know what evidence the police have beyond the victims' accounts.
Mark
Will he face trial?
Mimi
He's been granted bail on condition he doesn't practise medicine and doesn't go near the medical centre. His lawyer says he'll fight the charges.
Luke
So we're at the bail stage. Trial could be months or years away. The real test comes when the evidence is tested in court.
El Pulso
- A Sydney GP trusted with patients' most vulnerable moments now stands accused of exploiting that trust across nearly forty years of practice.
- A fifth victim came forward after news of the arrest broke — a woman who alleges abuse began when she was just fifteen years old — suggesting the full scale of harm may not yet be known.
- A 2012 investigation by the Health Care Complaints Commission failed to remove Small from practice, leaving unanswered questions about how regulatory oversight allowed him to continue for another fourteen years.
- The judge granted bail but stripped Small of his medical practice, acknowledging charges that are serious and directly tied to his professional role, even as the defence prepares to contest every allegation.
In the quiet authority of a doctor's consulting room — a space built on trust and vulnerability — something is alleged to have gone profoundly wrong over the span of nearly four decades. Andrew Small, a 70-year-old Sydney general practitioner, now faces criminal charges of sexually assaulting multiple female patients, with allegations stretching from 1988 to 2026. The case raises not only questions of individual culpability, but of the systems meant to protect those who seek care — systems that, in 2012, were alerted and yet did not intervene.
Andrew Small, a 70-year-old general practitioner at Waterloo Medical Centre in inner Sydney, was arrested on Thursday after detectives raided his practice. By Friday morning he was before a court, where prosecutors argued he posed a serious risk and sought to keep him detained.
The charges span nearly four decades — from November 1988 to March 2026, encompassing what appears to be his entire career at the practice. He faces three counts of aggravated sexual assault, one count of aggravated indecent assault, and one count of sexual assault without consent. In court, police described one alleged victim who had come to Small seeking treatment for stomach pain. "I would submit that falls well outside of what ordinary practice would be," the prosecuting sergeant told the judge.
The case deepened when a fifth woman contacted police after news of the arrest became public Thursday evening. She alleged offences beginning in 2006, when she was fifteen years old — a disclosure that may yet broaden the investigation's scope.
Perhaps most troubling is what the case reveals about institutional failure. In 2012, Small had already been subject to a Health Care Complaints Commission investigation. Despite that inquiry, he was permitted to continue practising without apparent restriction for another fourteen years. How that investigation was resolved — and what safeguards, if any, were in place — remains publicly unanswered.
Small's defence lawyer argued his client had no criminal history and would contest all charges. Judge Daniel Covington acknowledged the allegations as "serious and concerning" but declined to call the prosecution's case overwhelming. Small was granted bail on strict conditions: he is barred from practising medicine and from entering the medical centre — conditions that, for now, effectively end his career.
Andrew Small, a 70-year-old general practitioner at Waterloo Medical Centre in inner Sydney, was arrested on Thursday and charged with sexually assaulting multiple female patients. Detectives raided the medical practice and took him into custody. By Friday morning, he faced a bail hearing in court, where prosecutors argued he posed a serious risk and urged the judge to keep him detained.
The charges span nearly four decades. Small is accused of sexually assaulting four patients between November 1988 and March 2026—a timeframe that encompasses his entire career at the practice. He faces three counts of aggravated sexual assault, one count of aggravated indecent assault, and one count of sexual assault knowing no consent was given. During the hearing, police sergeant Chris Manning described one alleged victim who came to Small seeking treatment for stomach pain and was sexually assaulted. "I would submit that falls well outside of what ordinary practice would be," Manning told the court, emphasizing that these were crimes committed by someone in a position of trust.
The case took on added weight when a fifth woman contacted police after news of the arrest became public Thursday evening. She alleged that Small had committed offences against her since 2006, when she was just 15 years old. The emergence of this additional complainant suggested the scope of the investigation could expand further.
What made the case particularly troubling was the regulatory history. In 2012, Small had been subject to an investigation by the Health Care Complaints Commission—the body responsible for overseeing medical professionals in New South Wales. Despite that investigation, he was permitted to continue practising medicine without apparent restriction. He remained at Waterloo Medical Centre for another 14 years until his arrest this week.
During the bail hearing, Small's defence lawyer, Troy Edwards, argued that his client had no criminal history and intended to contest all the charges. Judge Daniel Covington acknowledged the seriousness of the allegations, describing them as "serious and concerning" and noting they related directly to Small's work as a medical professional. However, the judge stopped short of characterizing the prosecution's case as overwhelming. "I can't describe the case as weak but certainly not an overwhelming case at this stage," Covington said.
Small was granted bail, but under strict conditions. He is prohibited from continuing to practise medicine and is barred from entering Waterloo Medical Centre. He spent Thursday night in custody before being released on Friday morning. The conditions effectively end his medical career, at least for the duration of the legal proceedings. What remains unclear is how the 2012 investigation was resolved and what safeguards, if any, were in place during the 14 years between that inquiry and his arrest this week.
Citas Notables
These are offences committed by a person in a position of trust, a doctor working on patients.— Sergeant Chris Manning, police prosecutor
The offences are serious and concerning and solely relate to his practice as a medical professional. I can't describe the case as weak but certainly not an overwhelming case at this stage.— Judge Daniel Covington
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