Male nurse accused of rape says his conduct had ‘medical purpose’

The nurse is accused of sickening acts against his patients who were in hospital for heart surgery.

A male nurse who is accused of raping two of his heart surgery patients says the contact was not sexual but was for “medical purposes”, a court has heard.

The trial for Sydney nurse Ali Khamis Moh’d, 44, began in the Parramatta District Court on Tuesday, faced with allegations from four victims of unwanted sexual contact.

Mr Moh’d is accused of raping two of his patients and sexually touching an elderly patient without her consent within a seven months period between late 2021 and 2022.

All three of the alleged victims were in either the high-dependency unit or intensive care unit, awaiting or recovering from heart surgery.

He is also charged with sexually touching a student nurse.

The incidences allegedly occurred across Norwest Private Hospital and Nepean Private Hospital, where Mr Moh’d worked as a nurse. He has since been suspended by Healthscope, which owns both facilities.

In her opening address, Moh’d’s lawyer Linda Barnes told the jury her client denies sexually touching any of the four complainants.

“In short, Mr Moh’d case is that any contact he had with the complainants was for medical purposes, that is for health or hygienic purposes, or for educational purposes,” she told the court.

“He’s an innocent man.”

Ms Barnes also told the jury not to have an “emotional response” to the allegations.

“Wait until you have heard all of the evidence to form any opinion in your mind,” she said.

Mr Moh’d refused to comment on the allegations when asked by news.com.au on Monday afternoon. Picture: News Corp Australia

Mr Moh’d had studied at both the Jordanian University of Science and Technology in Ar-Ramtha and the University of Technology, Sydney. Picture: Supplied

Crown prosecutor Sarah Beaumont outlined a number of allegations for the jury – including the claim he penetrated one of the women’s anus with his finger while giving her an enema. He also is alleged to have penetrated her vagina with his finger while shaving her genitalia.

Another patient claims he penetrated her vagina with his finger while massaging a wound area near her groin.

“The accused had a tendency to have a sexual interest in adult females under his care,” Ms Beaumont said.

“He acted on that interest in an opportunistic manner by sexually touching them and or digitally penetrating them in circumstances where he pretended that the touching or penetration was for a proper medical purpose.”

Mr Moh’d was a nurse at Healthscope which owned both Nepean and Norwest Private Hospital (pictured). Picture: Supplied

The jury heard how in the case of the student, Mr Moh’d said he would teach her to listen for bowel sounds using a stethoscope. He then grabbed her underwear, pulled them to the side and looked at her genital area.

In the case of the elderly patient, Ms Moh’d is accused of telling her she had “nice breasts for someone” her age before squeezing her nipple.

On Monday, the court heard how there were a “large number” of medical records involved in the case with up to 26 witnesses expected to be called.

He has since been suspended from Healthscope amid the proceedings. Picture: Supplied

The trial is set to run for four weeks.

Outside court, Mr Moh’d, who was supported by a woman in court, did not respond to a request for comment by news.com.au.

The trial continues on Wednesday.

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Originally published as Male nurse accused of rape says his conduct had ‘medical purpose’