Former S'pore surgeon who molested woman on operating table diagnosed with terminal cancer, given judicial mercy & 1 week jail

A former Singaporean surgeon who molested a woman on the operating table after performing a colonoscopy and a procedure for piles was sentenced to one week's jail in court on Jan. 27.

The man, who was 72 at the time of the offences, has been diagnosed with stage four prostate cancer and was given six to 12 months left to live.

The prosecution had sought a jail term of four to six weeks, while agreeing with the defence that judicial mercy ought to be exercised in light of his terminal illness, CNA reported.

Due to a gag order to protect the victim's identity, the name of both the man and the private hospital where the incident occurred cannot be revealed.

Molested the victim under the guise of performing medical examination

Court documents seen by Mothership revealed that the man had claimed trial to one charge of outraging the modesty of a 20-year-old woman on Dec 24, 2021, at a private hospital.

The victim was recovering from sedation after recovering from a colonoscopy and ligation of piles when the man touched her chest under the guise of performing a clinical breast examination.

However, his actions were witnessed by two nurses who had assisted him with the earlier procedures.

They were shocked and immediately reported the matter to their supervisors.

The man later argued that the victim had impliedly consented to the breast examination, but the judge rejected the claim, finding that the victim was drowsy from the sedation and was in no position to give consent.

The court also found that there was no medical basis for examining the victim’s breasts after a colonoscopy, given that her clinical diagnosis was bleeding piles.

According to the two nurses who had witnessed the act, the man had used both hands to molest the victim beneath her hospital gown.

A medical expert testified that a proper clinical breast examination would require adequate exposure of both breasts, inspection, palpation and checks for discharge.

Such an examination would typically take 15 to 30 seconds and should not be conducted beneath a hospital gown.

One of the nurses, who had worked at the hospital for decades and assisted the offender around 10 times a year for operations, said that it was the first time she had seen him conduct a breast examination.

The man was eventually convicted, with the judge finding that the prosecution had proven its case beyond a reasonable doubt.

Judicial mercy

CNA reported that the defence produced a medical report in court stating that the man suffers from incurable stage four prostate cancer with extensive metastasis to his bones, lymph nodes and lungs.

According to his oncologist, as of January 2026, he had about six to 12 months left to live.

Taking this into account, both the prosecution and defence agreed that judicial mercy should be considered.

Judicial mercy refers to the discretionary power of Singapore's courts to impose a more lenient sentence than what the circumstances of the offence would otherwise warrant, in recognition of exceptional mitigating circumstances.

The defence sought a fine of between S$6,000 and S$7,000, or alternatively one day’s jail and a S$10,000 fine.

Meanwhile, the prosecution sought four to six weeks’ jail, adding that it would have pursued a sentence of 12 to 15 months’ imprisonment if not for the offender’s medical condition.

The defence also compared the case to that of billionaire hotelier Ong Beng Seng, who was fined S$30,000 in August for abetting the obstruction of justice in a case relating to former Transport Minister S Iswaran.

During sentencing, the judge said the court had to balance the gravity of the man's abuse of his position of trust as a medical professional against his terminal illness.

The judge eventually agreed that judicial mercy should be exercised in this case, and the man commenced his jail sentence immediately.

For molestation, he could have been sentenced to up to two years' imprisonment and fined. He cannot be caned as he is above 50 years old.

Top photos via Canva and Mothership