Nurse gets jail, caning for molesting male patient at Mount Elizabeth Novena Hospital
The 35-year-old nurse will be appealing against his conviction and sentence, and remains out on bail of S$30,000.
Ivan Lee Yi Wang arrives at the State Courts in Singapore on Mar 12, 2024. (Photo: TODAY/Ili Nadhirah Mansor)
Louisa Tang
12 Mar 2024 01:01PMBookmark
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SINGAPORE: A registered nurse was on Tuesday (Mar 12) sentenced to 16 months’ jail and four strokes of the cane after being found guilty of molesting a male patient recovering from medical procedures.
Lawyers for Ivan Lee Yi Wang, a 35-year-old Singaporean, told the court that he will be appealing against the conviction and sentence. His bail amount was doubled to S$30,000 pending the appeal in the High Court.
Lee had contested two charges of molesting the patient in 2018. At the time, the patient was recovering from gastroscopy and colonoscopy procedures at a private clinic at Mount Elizabeth Novena Hospital.
During the trial, he denied doing this, saying the victim was biased against him and had imagined things because he was under the influence of sedatives.
The victim was 26 at the time of the offences. He worked in a market-related role and cannot be named due to a court order to protect his identity.
CNA's online search of the Singapore Nursing Board's records on Tuesday showed that Lee still has a practising certificate, and currently works at the National Kidney Foundation. His lawyers said he was asked to take a sabbatical due to his criminal case.
On Tuesday, Deputy Public Prosecutor Stacey Fernandez called it a “disturbing case”, noting that Lee knew he had no role in the post-operative monitoring and care of patients. He was a specialist centre clinic nurse manager at the time.
“In fact, right before the incidents, he was specifically told by a ward nurse not to enter the victim’s room because the victim was probably not fully awake yet,” she added.
“He blatantly disregarded the instruction and entered the victim’s room for the purpose of sexually assaulting the victim.”
The prosecutor, who sought the sentence imposed, called the defence’s allegations that the victim was biased against Lee “unfounded”. She noted that the victim’s level of sedation was also low, and he had responded to both verbal and tactile stimuli after his procedures.
The victim had testified at trial about how he was resting after the procedure – which involves the insertion of a tube into the digestive tract – when he felt his hospital gown being lifted.
He then saw a flashlight that appeared to be from a phone camera.
The man also testified that he felt a "grip" from what felt like a hand on his private parts.
He said he was shocked and did not call for a nurse immediately, and the person returned and molested him again. He then pressed the call bell for help.
In a previous statement, Lee admitted to being in the victim’s room, asking him how he was feeling and pressing the victim’s stomach. Other nurses and doctors also testified that he should not have entered the victim’s room at all.
Lee was represented by a team of lawyers led by Mr Peter Low. They asked for a lower sentence of 10 months’ jail and three strokes of the cane.
Those convicted of molestation can be jailed for up to two years, fined, caned, or given any combination of these penaltises per charge.
