A 55-year-old surgeon of Indian origin in the UK, Amal Bose, has been sentenced to six years in prison for repeatedly groping female colleagues. The court described him as “a sexual predator hiding in plain sight."
Despite his professional reputation and surgical skills, Bose used his senior position to target junior staff members over a period from 2017 to 2022.
As the former head of the cardiovascular surgery department at Blackpool Victoria Hospital in Lancashire, he was suspended by the NHS trust following staff complaints, which led to a police investigation in 2023.
During the trial, he was characterised as “arrogant and crude," having sexually assaulted five members of his team.
Victims testified that his seniority fostered a culture of inappropriate behaviour, making them feel powerless to challenge him. According to the UK’s Daily Mail, Dr Bose grabbed a nurse’s breast while she was helping him prepare for surgery. Another woman reported that Bose groped her while reaching into her top pocket for a pen, calling her “fresh meat." A third colleague alleged that he pulled down her top and made a lewd comment about her being a place for his cup of tea.
After his suspension, Bose worked as a parcel delivery driver, a significant fall from his once-prestigious medical career. The court further described him as “highly sexualised." His conviction also highlights a concerning trend, as he is the sixth medical practitioner from the same Lancashire hospital to be jailed for serious offences in the past two years.
At Preston Crown Court, Judge Ian Unsworth told Bose that he exploited his “exalted position" to prey on colleagues, believing he could act “with impunity." The judge condemned his behaviour as “sexually charged, targeted and predatory," stating that Bose viewed female staff as objects to satisfy his own sexual needs. “The reality is you were a sexual predator hiding in plain sight," the judge said.
Although acknowledging Bose’s skill as a surgeon to whom many patients owed their lives, Judge Unsworth emphasised that this did not mitigate the severity of his offences. Noting Bose’s lack of genuine remorse, the judge sentenced him to six years in prison.
Lancashire Police charged Bose with 14 counts of sexual assault under Section 3 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003, relating to incidents involving six female colleagues between 2017 and 2022.
All the victims were staff members at Blackpool Victoria Hospital. The hospital formally alerted authorities on March 14, 2023, after multiple sexual assault complaints were raised internally. Following a detailed investigation and consultation with the Crown Prosecution Service, prosecutors proceeded with the case.
Earlier this year, a jury convicted Bose on 12 counts of sexual assault against five women and acquitted him of two further charges. During the trial, Bose attempted to downplay his actions, telling police his behaviour was “only flirting." In a subsequent interview, he expressed regret, stating he was “sorry for everything."
