Atlanta VA Doctor Guilty of Sexually Assaulting Female Veteran Patient

ATLANTA - Following an eight-day trial, Rajesh Motibhai Patel, a primary care physician at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Decatur, Georgia, was found guilty by a jury of violating a patient's constitutional right to bodily integrity while acting under color of law and for engaging in unwanted sexual contact.

"Dr. Patel violated the cardinal rule of a physician to do no harm to patients under his care," said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. "Veterans who consulted him for treatment, like the victim in this case, trusted Dr. Patel and he violated that trust. His conviction hopefully provides a measure of healing for those impacted by his crimes."

"The verdict announced today is an important step in seeking justice for a sexual assault committed against a veteran seeking care at a VA medical center," said Michael J. Missal, Inspector General for the Department of Veterans Affairs. "VA employees are entrusted with keeping our nation's veterans safe while receiving care. Acts of violence against veterans in VA facilities are reprehensible and shatters that trust. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to hold anyone who would commit these crimes accountable."

According to U.S. Attorney Buchanan, the charges, and other information presented in court: Rajesh Motibhai Patel, a physician at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center, was charged with sexually assaulting four of his female patients during routine exams, where he groped their breasts and improperly touched their vaginal area between 2019 and 2020. The jury acquitted him of charges related to three victims and found him guilty of violating the fourth victim.

Rajesh Motibhai Patel, 69, of Lilburn, Georgia is scheduled to be sentenced on February 20, 2025, at 1:30 p.m. by U.S. District Judge William M. Ray, II. Dr. Patel was found guilty by a federal jury on November 5, 2024.

This case is being investigated by the Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Inspector General.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Erin N. Spritzer and Jennifer Keen are prosecuting the case.

For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney's Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.