Doctor accused of touching female patient's chest during consultation
SINGAPORE — A general practitioner is on trial for molesting a female patient who had visited him for flu-like symptoms in 2017.
Dr Lui Weng Sun, a doctor at Northeast Medical Group Clinic at Block 39 Jalan Tiga, is accused of one count of molesting a 24-year-old Vietnamese woman on 6 November 2017 by pulling down her left bra cup, placing a stethoscope on her left breast, and touching her nipple with his finger.
The 45-year-old's trial opened on Monday (19 August) with the victim testifying behind closed doors.
Boyfriend took the stand
On Tuesday, the victim's 44-year-old boyfriend took the stand, testifying that his girlfriend told him of the alleged incident, asking him if it was normal for doctors in Singapore to "open up" her clothes. The woman, who is staying in Singapore on a student pass, also told him that there were no nurses around when she was consulting Lui.
"She said he opened up her clothes, pulled down her bra and touched her breast and nipple," the boyfriend testified in Mandarin through an interpreter.
The man, a contractor, then called up the clinic wanting to speak to Lui, but was told that he was not around.
The victim and her boyfriend later visited the clinic, but were told that the doctor had left work. According to the man, Lui called him on his mobile phone while he was still at the clinic.
"I asked the doctor why, for a normal cold, cough and fever, there is a need to open the clothes, pull down the bra and touch the breast,” said the man, who added that the conversation was in Mandarin.
“He said, 'Oh sorry sorry, because I need to check the things inside'."
Not satisfied with doctor’s answer
Lui had claimed that he needed to check the internal organs, like the liver, the heart and the lungs, said the boyfriend. The doctor repeated the same explanation when probed several more times, but the man was not satisfied with his answer.
When asked by Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) Ng Yiwen why Lui apologised, the boyfriend replied that it was out of courtesy.
He neither admitted nor denied his actions, said the boyfriend.
"I told him I was hungry because I just ended work, so I asked him to call me back in one to two hours and think carefully of a reason to convince me," he said.
When Lui called again, he repeated his explanations about checking the victim's organs and asked the boyfriend, "What do you want me to do?”
Recounting the exchange, the boyfriend said, "(I told him) if you cannot give me a satisfying answer, then I will consider going to the police. He did not give any response.”
Filed police report without meeting doctor
The doctor had asked to meet the boyfriend three days later, but the couple filed a police report without meeting Lui.
When asked why he had gone straight to the police, the boyfriend said that the doctor had not accounted for his actions, and the three-day wait was too long.
He added that he was afraid Lui would "accuse (him) of allegations", going by how Lui had asked him what he wanted.
The trial continues, and if convicted on molest, Lui can be jailed up to two years, or fined or caned.
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