Former male nurse convicted of molesting man recovering from procedure at Mount Elizabeth Novena Hospital
The former nurse denied the offences, saying the victim had imagined things because he was under the influence of sedatives.
This audio is generated by an AI tool.
SINGAPORE: A former male nurse was convicted on Tuesday (Feb 20) of molesting a male patient who was recovering from a gastro-colonoscopy at Mount Elizabeth Novena Hospital in 2018.
Ivan Lee Yi Wang, a 35-year-old Singaporean, had contested two charges of molestation but was convicted of both of them.
He had denied the offences, saying the victim was biased against him and had imagined things because he was under the influence of sedatives.
The victim, who was 26 at the time of the offences, 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 up.
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.
The victim had testified that his doctor later said it was up to him if he wanted to make a police report, but that "this sort of issue should keep it on the low".
He also felt "accused" when another nurse said there were no incriminating pictures in Lee's phone and that the flashlight could have been from a blood pressure machine.
According to the victim, his first encounter with Lee was on his first visit to the clinic where Lee worked. Lee registered him at the clinic's reception counter during this visit.
The victim went to the clinic for abdominal pain, bloating and excessive belching for three months.
He handed his number to the clinic through a form, and Lee later texted the victim using his personal number, identifying himself as being from the clinic and saying: "Just following up regarding your plans, can text me and let me know anytime."
The victim felt this was strange and did not respond. He called the clinic directly instead to schedule a follow-up appointment.
When the victim went to Mount Elizabeth Novena Hospital on Oct 31, 2018, for a gastro-colonoscopy, he changed into a hospital gown.
Lee spoke to the victim before the procedures were performed.
The victim was sedated for the procedure and taken to a recovery ward, where he was awoken by someone molesting him and shining a light at him.
Related:
ARGUMENTS
Lee's lawyers, led by Mr Peter Low, argued that the victim had a "suspicion and cognitive bias" against Lee which led to the molestation allegation.
They also argued that the victim's evidence was materially inconsistent and that the molestation was a figment of his imagination brought about by the drugs that had been used to sedate him. They added that Lee was not prohibited from physically examining the victim in the ward.
In response, the prosecution said Lee himself had admitted that the victim had no reason to lie about the offences.
A female nurse who testified for the prosecution said she saw Lee standing in front of the room and about to open the curtain around the victim after the victim was taken to the recovery room.
She asked Lee if he was giving medication to the victim, and when Lee said yes, she told him not to give it then and not to enter the room as the victim was probably not fully awake yet.
When she later entered the room with another nurse, she found the victim "quite nervous". He kept asking them to "make sure the guy is not standing outside of (his) door".
For his offences, Lee could be jailed for up to two years, fined, caned, or given any combination of these penalties.
