SINGAPORE: An aesthetic doctor was sentenced to 42 months’ jail on Thursday (Jul 28) for twice molesting a male patient after sedating him with stupefying drugs.
Tan Kok Leong, 50, was convicted last month of twice administering stupefying drugs Dormicum and Rosiden to the victim, a fellow doctor, at Oasia Hotel in July 2013 after an earlier liposuction procedure.
Tan was also convicted after an 18-day trial, of molesting the victim over two nights after he had sedated the 33-year-old Malaysian under the pretext of administering the drugs for pain relief.
District Judge Siva Shanmugam said Tan had “abused his position by exploiting the victim’s trust in him”, noting the pair’s unique relationship – doctor-patient, and the victim, a young doctor, had also regarded Tan as a mentor.
Tan had drugged the victim, rendering the man “vulnerable and defenceless” before taking advantage of him; undressing the man to take more than 20 photographs of his private parts without his knowledge or consent. “The victim was left none the wiser and would have remained oblivious to what was done to him if the offences had not come to light”, Judge Shanmugam noted.
During the trial, the court heard how after defiling the unconscious man, Tan had put the victim’s clothes back on so his patient would wake up oblivious to what his trusted mentor had done.
The lewd photographs, some showing Tan touching or holding the victim’s private parts, were discovered by another doctor, who told the victim.
Judge Shanmugam also noted Tan had sedated the victim in a hotel room “outside the hospital environment without proper monitoring or resuscitation equipment”. This was “both inappropriate and extremely dangerous … (and shows) scant regard for the victim’s safety and well-being”, the judge said.
The prosecution, led by Deputy Public Prosecutor Alan Loh and Assistant Public Prosecutor Thiagesh Sukumaran, had pressed the court to hand down a jail term of five years and eight months, citing multiple aggravating factors in the case, including that Tan had “fragrantly breached" his ethical, professional and moral obligations to his patient.
Prosecutors argued Tan had taken the lewd photographs “which objectified and debased the victim … for his own viewing pleasure”. Tan’s lawyer Edmond Pereira denied this, saying Tan had taken the photographs for the purposes of performing an augmentation procedure of the victim's penis, which he had requested.
The defence lawyer said in mitigation that Tan is a renowned aesthetic doctor has made “significant and remarkable contributions to the field of aesthetic medicine” and travelled frequently to several countries to conduct workshops, seminars and lectures. He was also active in charity work for many years, a testament to "good character", Mr Pereira said.
Immediately after Tan’s sentencing, Mr Pereira told the court the doctor would be launching an appeal against his conviction and sentence. Tan is on bail pending the hearing on his appeal.
The prosecution is also appealing against Tan’s acquittal of one count of molest, said to have taken place on Jun 6, 2013 at Tan’s clinic at Novena Medical Centre. The clinic, Life Source Medical Centre, has since been closed.
For molest, Tan could have faced up to two years’ jail, a fine and/or caning. For administering stupefying drugs, Tan could have been jailed for up to 10 years and caned.
Tan cannot be caned, as he is above 50.
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/doctor-jailed-for/2994656.html
Tan Kok Leong, 50, was convicted last month of twice administering stupefying drugs Dormicum and Rosiden to the victim, a fellow doctor, at Oasia Hotel in July 2013 after an earlier liposuction procedure.
Tan was also convicted after an 18-day trial, of molesting the victim over two nights after he had sedated the 33-year-old Malaysian under the pretext of administering the drugs for pain relief.
District Judge Siva Shanmugam said Tan had “abused his position by exploiting the victim’s trust in him”, noting the pair’s unique relationship – doctor-patient, and the victim, a young doctor, had also regarded Tan as a mentor.
Tan had drugged the victim, rendering the man “vulnerable and defenceless” before taking advantage of him; undressing the man to take more than 20 photographs of his private parts without his knowledge or consent. “The victim was left none the wiser and would have remained oblivious to what was done to him if the offences had not come to light”, Judge Shanmugam noted.
During the trial, the court heard how after defiling the unconscious man, Tan had put the victim’s clothes back on so his patient would wake up oblivious to what his trusted mentor had done.
The lewd photographs, some showing Tan touching or holding the victim’s private parts, were discovered by another doctor, who told the victim.
Judge Shanmugam also noted Tan had sedated the victim in a hotel room “outside the hospital environment without proper monitoring or resuscitation equipment”. This was “both inappropriate and extremely dangerous … (and shows) scant regard for the victim’s safety and well-being”, the judge said.
The prosecution, led by Deputy Public Prosecutor Alan Loh and Assistant Public Prosecutor Thiagesh Sukumaran, had pressed the court to hand down a jail term of five years and eight months, citing multiple aggravating factors in the case, including that Tan had “fragrantly breached" his ethical, professional and moral obligations to his patient.
Prosecutors argued Tan had taken the lewd photographs “which objectified and debased the victim … for his own viewing pleasure”. Tan’s lawyer Edmond Pereira denied this, saying Tan had taken the photographs for the purposes of performing an augmentation procedure of the victim's penis, which he had requested.
The defence lawyer said in mitigation that Tan is a renowned aesthetic doctor has made “significant and remarkable contributions to the field of aesthetic medicine” and travelled frequently to several countries to conduct workshops, seminars and lectures. He was also active in charity work for many years, a testament to "good character", Mr Pereira said.
Immediately after Tan’s sentencing, Mr Pereira told the court the doctor would be launching an appeal against his conviction and sentence. Tan is on bail pending the hearing on his appeal.
The prosecution is also appealing against Tan’s acquittal of one count of molest, said to have taken place on Jun 6, 2013 at Tan’s clinic at Novena Medical Centre. The clinic, Life Source Medical Centre, has since been closed.
For molest, Tan could have faced up to two years’ jail, a fine and/or caning. For administering stupefying drugs, Tan could have been jailed for up to 10 years and caned.
Tan cannot be caned, as he is above 50.
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/doctor-jailed-for/2994656.html
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