A nurse who sexually assaulted a vulnerable young patient under the guise of an examination in A&E has been struck off the nursing register.
Joseph Castro James Justin, 34, was working at University College London Hospitals when he carried out the assault on the woman on 18 August 2020.
Justin, who was previously living in Watford, was arrested eight days later and denied the offences. He was convicted of two counts of sexual assault at Wood Green Crown Court in July 2025.
He was sentenced to five years and six months in prison and ordered to register as a sex offender indefinitely. He is currently serving his sentence at HMP Maidstone.
A Nursing and Midwifery Council fitness to practise panel has now ruled that his behaviour was fundamentally incompatible with remaining a registered nurse and ordered him to be struck off.
The panel heard the patient suffered significant psychological harm as a result of the assaults. Quoting the sentencing remarks of Judge Blackwell, the panel said: “For the avoidance of doubt, the elements of your offending which have led to severe psychological harm amount to the eating disorder, the self-harm and the fact that [Patient A] became a virtual recluse for many months and lost her care-free adolescence.”
The panel found aggravating features included an abuse of a position of trust, the vulnerability of the patient, “predatory behaviour and isolation within a clinical space” and the sustained nature of the assault. It said the offending only stopped when Justin was interrupted.
The panel also found there was no evidence he had demonstrated insight, reflection or remorse, and said his offending indicated a “deep-seated attitudinal issue” which would be extremely difficult to remedy.
It concluded that allowing Justin to continue practising would undermine public confidence in nursing and that nothing short of striking him from the register would be sufficient.
An interim 18-month suspension order was also imposed while the 28-day appeal period runs.
