Hospital Cleaner Faces Up To 30 Months’ Jail For Molesting Paralysed Patient
When one is unwell and unable to fend for themselves especially, the expectation is for them to receive extra care and attention to meet their every need. Unfortunately, some people may take advantage of their vulnerability instead.
In Apr 2021, a Singaporean hospital cleaner was caught molesting a paralysed but conscious woman.
He pleaded guilty to outrage of modesty on Wednesday (23 Mar) and is due to be sentenced in April.
Patient was conscious & aware during incident
According to Channel NewsAsia (CNA), the man committed the crime at around 4.30pm on 27 Apr 2021.
While mopping the floor, he allegedly noticed a female patient lying on the bed with the top two buttons of her pyjama top undone.
The cleaner then reached under her shirt and touched her chest for 15 seconds.
A nurse who happened to be assisting another patient nearby coincidentally drew the curtains back and witnessed the incident.
The man promptly removed his hand and continued working without a word.
The nurse then asked the patient if she was okay and if the man had touched her breast.
In response, the patient looked at her and blinked 3 times, which she understood to mean “yes”.
Hospital cleaner admits to molesting patient
After confirming the incident with the victim, the nurse informed her supervisor and they made a police report.
The cleaner also admitted to touching the patient inappropriately. He reportedly claimed that he had forgotten to take his medication and was simply doing what the “voices” in his head had told him to do.
A doctor from the Institute of Mental Health (IMH) assessed that he suffered from schizophrenia but said he had a sound mind when he committed the offence, reports The Straits Times (ST).
Faces up to 30 months’ jail
CNA reported that Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) Ng Jun Chong sought 24 to 28 months’ jail for the accused with 2 additional months in lieu of caning due to his age.
Since the victim was paralysed, court documents emphasised that her inability to speak or move made her vulnerable. Moreover, the experience must have been particularly distressing as it occurred in a hospital where she should have felt safe and secure.
Since the cleaner could only gain access to the victim due to his job role, it was also a breach of trust.
The cleaner’s defence lawyer reportedly tried to argue that his client only touched the patient’s chest for “a very short time”. He also requested that the court consider a mandatory treatment order in view of his client’s psychological condition.
District Judge Kessler Soh adjourned the sentencing to allow more time for the defence to consider their requests.
The court will decide on the man’s sentence when he returns in April.
Hope authorities will seek justice for victim
Knowing that such an unpleasant incident occurred in a safe space like a hospital, to a vulnerable individual, is especially unsettling.
We hope the authorities will be able to seek justice for the victim.
We also hope she will receive the support she needs to heal from the psychological impact of the crime.
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Featured image adapted from Frederic Köberl on Unsplash.
