Former Gqeberha endocrinologist Dr Gregory Hough’s case has been postponed to allow the court to conduct further consultations with the women he’s accused of assaulting, some more than 10 years ago, reports The Herald.
This was disclosed by senior prosecutor Advocate Linda le Roux during Hough’s appearance in the Gqeberha Magistrate’s Court last Wednesday, when the matter was postponed to 10 June. He remains out on bail.
Hough, who was a specialist endocrinologist, is accused of sexually assaulting five women at his rooms at Netcare Greenacres Hospital more than a decade ago. He handed himself over to police in November and was released on bail of R5 000 the same day.
In November, the Gauteng High Court (Pretoria) turned down his appeal to stop the Health Professions Council of SA (HPCSA) from permanently barring him from practising, pending the outcome of ongoing litigation.
The incidents allegedly occurred between 2012 and 2019. Two of the women said Hough assaulted them on more than one occasion.
Before the criminal action, Hough was in a drawn-out legal battle with the HPCSA linked to complaints from some of his former patients at Greenacres Hospital.
He was initially suspended from practising by the HPCSA in September 2020. In his latest attempts to fight off the HPCSA, he filed an interim interdict application to overturn the decision to permanently bar him from practising.
According to the judgment delivered on 4 November, Hough was charged internally with seven counts of unprofessional conduct. On 3 June last year, he was finally found guilty on two counts of unprofessional conduct and acquitted on five other charges since the complainant in those counts was not cross-examined.
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