Ban too lenient for dentist who made sexual comments

Warning: This story contains comments of a racist nature and references to sexual violence

A six-month ban for a dentist who told one female colleague "I have my rape eye on you" - and another that he would "pour acid" on his own daughter if she dated a black man - was too lenient, a court has ruled.

Dr Yasir Rahman was found to have told junior colleagues he had a ranking system for women on how much he wanted to have sex with them - while on one occasion "inappropriately" stroked one on the arms.

The "pattern" of "degrading" behaviour occurred at a dental practice in Manchester between 2020 and 2023, before a dental nurse complained.

The suspension was imposed in July 2025 by an independent committee after a General Dental Council investigation, but was scrapped by the High Court.

The court heard how Rahman, who qualified in 1999 and has worked at practices across Manchester and in Burnley, Lancashire, regularly told his female colleagues about his sex life, including an affair he had with an 18-year-old woman.

He made comments about how attractive he found female patients, including that it was "a shame" that one woman "had a pretty face but such a small chest", and that another "had a nice bum".

In August 2022, after treating a black patient, the court heard he said to a colleague words to the effect that if his daughter "ever came home with a black man", he would "pour acid over her".

He then defended his opinion by stating that "brown and black people don't like each other".

Between October to November 2022, he told one female colleague "come sit on my knee and call me uncle" and "I've got my rape eye on you".

The court heard he told another woman at the practice about those comments - suggesting that he had entered "full perve mode".

On another occasion he told a colleague he found "school uniforms sexy" and that victims of sexual assaults "are to blame, depending on their choice of clothing".

The GDC, which regulates the register of dentists able to practise in the UK, told the BBC it had immediately referred the decision to suspend Rahman for six months to the Professional Standards Authority for Health and Social Care.

The authority in turn agreed the sanction was "insufficient" and applied to the courts to have it overturned.

Judge Mr Justice Sweeting found the original committee had "materially underestimated" the seriousness of Rahman's behaviour.

In a written ruling this week, he said the committee had failed to "grapple with the cumulative gravity" of the "pattern" of sexual and demeaning behaviour.

"That pattern was accompanied by discriminatory and offensive remarks and took place in a context of a professional hierarchy in which he was the senior individual," he said.

Sweeting said the acid comment was "particularly disturbing" and that Rahman's understanding of the impact of his behaviour was "incomplete", and that "a risk of repetition remained".

He did not impose a new sanction directly, but said a fresh hearing should take place in front of a different committee on a date to be set.

The General Dental Council said: "We were firmly of the view that the original sanction imposed in the case of Rahman was insufficient to protect the public.

"The GDC welcomes the decision of the High Court where the court has made clear the seriousness with which persistent sexual misconduct is taken in the context of fitness to practise proceedings for regulated professionals."

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