A Hong Kong court this afternoon sentenced a 34-year-old male nurse to eight months in prison after he sexually assaulted a semi-conscious female patient in May of this year. He was charged with two counts of indecent assault with a sentencing of eight months in prison.
According to Ming Pao, the West Kowloon Magistrates’ Court heard that the victim was hospitalized with the flu at Hong Kong Adventist Hospital on May 12 in a ward where she was the only patient. She was given the anti-flu drug Oseltamivir, marketed as Tamiflu, and fell asleep.
At around 3am, she was awakened by the accused, Yee Pak Kwong, and noticed that her top and bra were pulled upwards, and that Yee was holding her breasts with both hands. In a weakened state, the defendant again drifted out of consciousness, only to briefly wake up a second time to find Yee licking one of her breasts.
The defendant was unable to resist because of her condition.
At around 7am, the defendant disclosed the incident to a staffer at the hospital, who informed the police. Tests found Yee’s DNA on the defendant’s breast, and the hospital’s CCTV showed that Yee had entered the ward six times.
A doctor pointed out that Tamiflu does not cause hallucinations, so the defendant would have had a clear mind at the time of the incident.
Ming Pao reports that in a mitigating statement, Yee’s attorney said the defendant’s wife had been having affairs and burned through their savings, and that a medical report found Yee — who pleaded guilty to two counts of indecent assault — was stressed and suffering from mild depression.
The magistrate, however, was unmoved, saying the case was serious in nature and damaged the trust between doctors and patients.
According to the Crimes Ordinance, indecent assault carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.
Read more Hong Kong coverage at Coconuts HK.
