Georgia Doctor Found Guilty of Sexual Assault of Veteran Patient

On November 5, 2024, a federal jury found Dr. Rajesh Motibhai Patel, a primary care physician at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Decatur, Georgia, guilty of violating a patient’s constitutional right to bodily integrity and engaging in unwanted sexual contact. The conviction followed an eight-day trial, where Patel was accused of sexually assaulting four female patients during routine exams between 2019 and 2020.

The charges involved incidents in which Dr. Patel groped the patients’ breasts and improperly touched their vaginal areas. While the jury acquitted him of charges related to three victims, he was found guilty of assaulting a fourth victim.

Dr. Patel, 69, of Lilburn, Georgia, was charged under federal law for his actions while working at the VA medical center, a facility entrusted with providing care to military veterans. U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan emphasized the breach of trust Patel’s actions represented, stating, “Dr. Patel violated the cardinal rule of a physician to do no harm to patients under his care.”

Dr. Patel is scheduled for sentencing on February 20, 2025. The investigation was led by the Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Inspector General.