NSW prof pleads guilty to drugging woman

Professor John Kearsley, 63, from St George Hospital has pleaded guilty to drugging a younger female registrar and then indecently assaulting her.

An emergency department sign

A Sydney oncologist has pleaded guilty to drugging a female registrar and indecently assaulting her. (AAP)

A Sydney oncologist has pleaded guilty to drugging a younger female registrar and then indecently assaulting her.

Professor John Kearsley, the Director of Radiation Oncology at St George Hospital, was accused of administering benzodiazepine to the woman, who can't be named, in order to indecently assault her in Glebe in Sydney's inner-west sometime between November 22 and 23, 2013.

Court documents state that Kearsley, who pleaded guilty at Sydney's District Court on Thursday, lives in Glebe.

The 63-year-old is a conjoint professor of medicine at the University of NSW and gave the depressant drug to a female registrar.

Court documents state he then sucked her nipple.

Benzodiazepines, also known as minor tranquillisers, are most commonly prescribed by doctors to relieve stress and anxiety and to help people sleep.

Kearsley was formerly Area Director of Cancer Services for the South Eastern Sydney Illawarra Area Health Service.

He regularly held workshops with senior medical students and has written numerous papers.

One of his publications is titled "In the nighttime of your fear: The anatomy of compassion in the healing of the sick".

The chief executive of South Eastern Sydney Local Health District, Gerry Marr, said: "It would be inappropriate for South Eastern Sydney Local Health District to comment on this matter while proceedings are still before the court."

He is listed for sentence proceedings in February next year.


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Source: AAP



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