A pharmacist has been struck off the professional register for sexually assaulting a "vulnerable" pharmacy student four times over nine months.

Raaj Virdee, registration number 2070678, repeatedly rubbed his penis against the trainee pharmacist in the workplace, the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) heard at a fitness-to-practise hearing on November 5.

Mr Virdee contended that the student had led a "very sheltered life" and had misunderstood his actions. The GPhC acknowledged that the victim was "remarkably timid" and that Mr Virdee had previously appeared to be of good character, but said it could not conceive of "any innocent actions" that could have been misinterpreted as sexual assault.

The GPhC accepted there had been no complaints about Raaj Virdee, registration number 2070678, from any other colleagues, but said it was improbable that the victim could "imagine" sexual assault	More on fitness-to-practise cases Abusive pharmacist struck off for failing to show remorse and falsifying testimonials Former Boots manager rapped by GPhC for abusing staff discount Superintendent pharmacist struck off for false prescription claims
	Mr Virdee first started working with the victim at a Lloydspharmacy branch in 2009, when he was a locum. The victim first experienced inappropriate behaviour by Mr Virdee in October that year. She said Mr Virdee had approached her from behind and rubbed his penis against her and asked her out later that month, the GPhC heard.

She reported receiving a phone call from Mr Virdee in November to say he had taken two pills of Viagra the night before, although the GPhC did not find this to be proven. He said he "couldn't get his little man down" and, as a cold shower hadn't worked, asked for her "help", she said.

The student reported three further incidents of Mr Virdee rubbing himself against her in the first half of 2010. In July, two of her friends went into the pharmacy to confront Mr Virdee on his behaviour, and said they would not take the matter any further if he apologised and promised to stop harassing the victim. Two days later, Mr Virdee called the Pharmacists' Defence Association to say he had been falsely accused of "inappropriate touching".

The student also told the pharmacy manager about Mr Virdee's behaviour. The manager went on to confront Mr Virdee, who he said "neither confirmed nor denied" the allegations. The victim made an official complaint about Mr Virdee to the GPhC in January.

Mr Virdee suggested the student had a "fixation" with him and had misunderstood his actions.

The GPhC accepted there had been no complaints about Mr Virdee from any other colleagues, and that it was improbable that a "young professional man of previous good character" would sexually assault a young woman in the workplace. But it was also improbable that the victim could "imagine" sexual assault, the GPhC said.

The fitness-to-practise committee said Mr Virdee gave "contradictory answers" in his evidence and "frequently failed to answer questions that were put to him". The committee said it had "no difficulty in accepting" the victim's account of the incident causing her anxiety and trouble sleeping, and deemed her an intelligent and consistent witness.

The GPhC said Mr Virdee had taken advantage of a vulnerable woman in a junior position, and had a lack of insight into his actions. It ruled that the "only sufficient and proportionate sanction" was his removal from the register.

Read the full case here.

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