Bendigo doctor jailed for six years for rape

A BENDIGO GP who raped a woman seven times in one night and took photographs during the assaults has been jailed for six years.A County Court jury found Arvind Sharma, 37, guilty last month of seven counts of rape and three counts of indecent assault over the attacks in December 2006.Sharma and his victim, then 24, were known to each other and previously had consensual sex.The convictions do not relate to his work as a GP in central Bendigo.The two were night-clubbing in Bendigo before returning to Sharma's house were the attacks took place, the court heard.Sharma took photographs of his victim during the rapes,In sentencing this morning, Judge Frank Shelton said the woman refused Sharma's advances while she was lying on his bed.But when he persisted 10 minutes later, she did not complain.Sharma believed the woman to be drunk but in actual fact she was only pretending in order for him to stop, the judge said.During cross-examination, the woman said she was scared of Sharma but Judge Shelton said that evidence was not particularly strong.Judge Shelton said Sharma was of previous good character and had high standing in the Bendigo community.He said Sharma's jail term would have an effect on Bendigo given the documented difficulties in attracting GPs to country areas.The judge said there were several character references including from patients of Sharma who said they were happy to continue being treated by him even after the charges were laid.Sharma was jailed for six years to serve a minimum of four years.Several women cried - including his fiancee, a pharmacist - as Judge Shelton sentenced him.- Adrian Lowe, The Age.Note: The Bendigo Advertiser wishes to clarify that the Dr Arvind Sharma referred to in this story is in no way related to another doctor with a similiar name who practices medicine in Bendigo.