Dr George Doodnaught has been found guilty by a Toronto court of sexual assaults against 21 women who were under sedation. Judge David McCombs perceived Mr Doodnaught's guilt 'overwhelming'.

The anaesthesiologist was found guilty of all the charges against him. The verdict came in a packed courtroom on Tuesday. The victims were present in the court. There were many among them who were in tears after hearing the verdict. Some of them were heard whispering 'yes' as they heard the verdict.

Mr Doodnaught was charged for fondling, kissing and similar sexual acts which he acted on patients at North York General Hospital. The sexual assaults took place during four years which came to an end in 2010. A subsequent trial ran for three years, suffering many adjournments all throughout in 2013.

Mr Doodnaught's lawyer gave an argument that those were sexual fantasies of the sedated female patients as some of the drugs used for sedation might cause such side effects. He also argued that it was physically improbable for Mr Doodnaught to assault them sexually as he was in the operating room behind a surgical screen.

There were 143 people who happened to be present during the said operations, but none of them saw him assault any of the patients. On the other hand, some of the assistants and nurses did describe his behaviour unusual.

The Crown accused Mr Doodnaught of being a 'sexual opportunist' as he apparently timed the assaults precisely for avoiding any opportunity of getting caught. It claimed that Mr Doodnaught was turned on by the risk and excitement involved in the act.

Each of the 21 women accused Mr Doodnaught of kissing them and touching them inappropriately while they were under conscious sedation. Mr McCombs wrote that it was possible for Mr Doodnaught to know when it was safe to commit the assaults without being caught red-handed as he had worked at the hospital for the last 26 years. He also dismissed the possibilities of sexual fantasies of the patients calling them extremely rare.