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The 1970s-style protection of doctors from scrutiny is not something readers need — here's the primer.

A doctor based in Sheffield has appeared in court accused of sexually assaulting a woman, a charge the doctor denies. Sexual assault is a criminal offence involving non-consensual sexual contact, and cases like this typically proceed through the criminal courts, where the accused enters a plea before any trial takes place.

Cases involving healthcare professionals often attract particular attention because of the position of trust doctors hold over patients, and because such allegations can also trigger separate scrutiny from medical regulators, such as the General Medical Council, which oversees doctors' fitness to practise in the UK. It is important to note that a formal accusation and denial mark only the early stages of a legal process, and no findings of guilt have been made at this point.