A long-serving Darlington GP was among the North-East worthies recognised in the Queen’s Birthday Honours. Health Editor Barry Nelson talks to Dr Susan Waterworth about her work.

ONE of the most surprising things about a doctor who has examined hundreds of alleged rape victims is that she has, at times, felt some sympathy for the perpetrator.

It’s not that Dr Susan Waterworth doesn’t believe in punishing rapists, it is more that she has seen, over and over again, how heavy drinking can lead men – individuals who would not normally dream of being violent – into situations where they commit a sexual assault.

“Young people go out and drink far too much and end up doing things they wouldn’t normally, “ says Dr Waterworth, 60, who works at Blacketts Medical Centre, in Darlington.

“For the woman, that might mean they end up becoming the victim of an attack, but for the the young man, who perhaps simply set out to have an enjoyable night out, it may end up with him serving a long prison sentence,” she says.

Recently awarded the MBE after serving as a forensic examiner for Durham Police for 23 years, Dr Waterworth has a wealth of experience.

But the theme of people getting into deep water because of alcohol is one that never goes away.

“A lot of the people I examine have been drinking – and a lot of the alleged suspects have been drinking. This is one of the things that young people should be aware of the next time they go out,” she says.

Remarkably, while her sympathies lie predominantly with the victims, she also understands how some men, after a heavy drinking session, might behave in an uncharacteristic way.

“I see both sides and the man is often tremendously regretful and at a loss to explain their behaviour,” says Dr Waterworth, who is a married mother of three grown-up children.

She was nominated for an MBE by Chief Superintendent Andy Roddick, of Durham Police, who praised her “commitment and exceptional dedication”.

Born in Darlington but brought up in Cornwall and South Wales, Dr Waterworth returned to the North-East in the Seventies and completed her medical degree at Newcastle University in 1978.

Ten years later, and by then an established GP in Darlington, she received a circular from Durham Police asking for female GPs to carry out investigations of alleged sexual assaults.

“I remember I had this vaguely altruistic feeling that if I should be assaulted, I would want to be examined by a woman,” she recalls.

She was appointed in 1989, beginning a period of continuous service which continues today.

“For quite a long time there were two or three of us in County Durham providing the service.

At the time, it was all done without any specific training, although that did change.”

As the science of DNA fingerprinting began to emerge in the late Eighties, Dr Waterworth recalls going on a course at a police training centre in Wetherby and in 1998 she was sent on a formal forensic medical examination course at Harperley police college, in Weardale.

She was then encouraged by a police surgeon to take a diploma in medical jurisprudence.

WITH an average of about 120 rape or serious sexual assault cases in County Durham every year, Dr Waterworth found her services were always in demand.

“The numbers have varied from about 40 in one year to about 90 in another,” she says.

While she occasionally sees horrific injuries, many victims have few signs of assault.

“To be honest, most people don’t have any injuries at all,” she says. She explains that in many cases a woman who is being sexually assaulted will react not by fighting, but by becoming passive.

“Whatever people think they would do under the circumstances, they are pre-programmed to do other things. A woman may not put up any resistance because she doesn’t want to get hurt.

Women and children don’t generally put up a fight the way a man might do,” she says.

While the great majority of rape victims are women, men are occasionally victims too.

“Rape can have an absolutely devastating effect on anyone – man or woman,” she says.

In recent years, all examinations in County Durham have been carried out at the Sexual Assault Referral Centre, near Durham City.

Apart from a specially-equipped examination suite, the centre offers such things as morning- after contraceptive pill, check-ups for sexually transmitted diseases, and counselling.

Counselling is something that Dr Waterworth says is a vital part of the process.

“The first thing we have to do is to care for the person. We want to make them feel as comfortable as possible under the circumstances, and make it clear to them that we are there to help and look after them.”

Throughout the process, Independent Sexual Violence Advisors, or ISVAs, are available to support victims.

The physical examination usually take a minimum of two hours but can last much longer. At the end of it, the doctor writes a statement in which they give a brief opinion of what may have caused any injuries they have detected and the results of any swabs they may have taken. The doctor also examines the alleged perpetrators in police custody.

AS part of her role, Dr Waterworth is often called to give evidence in person in court. And she is eager to point out that the conviction rate for rape cases is actually much higher than many people think.

“Once they are taken to court, 55 per cent of people charged with rape are convicted. I say that because I know there have been significant concerns about the conviction rate,” she adds.

Supt Roddick, in recommending Dr Waterworth for an MBE, described her as “a victim’s champion”.

“Victims regularly give feedback about the caring and sensitive manner she displays which gives them the confidence to disclose evidence.

This undoubtedly contributes to the high detection and conviction rates for sexual offences in County Durham and Darlington,” he says.

Dr Waterworth is looking forward to her trip to Buckingham Palace to collect her MBE in a few months’ time.