67-year-old doctor Wee Teong Boo is on trial for allegedly raping a regular female patient during a medical exam, when the then-23-year-old victim went to his Bedok clinic complaining of an itch in her genitals and frequent urination.
The court heard today that the incident occurred on 30 Dec 2015 when the victim visited the clinic around 11.30pm. The victim cannot be named due to a gag order.
According to court documents, the victim lay down and pulled up her T-shirt for Wee to examine her abdomen when Wee pulled her shorts down and rubbed her private parts over her underwear, asking her if it was itchy.
Wee then asked the victim to lower her shorts and when she pulled them down to her thigh-level, he asked her to take it off completely before removing her underwear completely and positioning the victim so he was between her legs.
The victim apparently heard the sound of a zipper at this point, according to court documents, and she felt a poking sensation in her private parts as she saw the accused moving forward and backward with each such sensation.
It was only when the accused re-positioned the victim when she complained that she felt pain, that she saw what was in her private parts and noticed that Wee’s pants were unzipped.
The victim immediately went to the toilet and found blood stains. According to the prosecutors, the victim collected her medication and left the clinic in a state of shock. Later, the victim felt pain when she showered and washed her private parts.
She discovered bloodstains when she wiped her private parts after using the washroom throughout that night. Unable to sleep, the victim stayed awake, tossing and turning, attracting the attention of her mother.
The victim finally shared what had happened with her mother in the early hours of the next morning and lodged a police report that same day. According to court documents, the victim suffered a hymen tear and two small wounds in her private parts.
This was apparently not the first time Wee had allegedly abused his position in examining the same patient. Just a month before this incident, Wee had rubbed the victim’s private parts over her underwear during an examination when she visited him for gastric discomfort.
The young victim assumed this was a normal procedure despite feeling uneasy. She also trusted Wee since she had been visiting his clinic for about a year.
On 24 February last year, Wee was charged with rape and molest. The Singapore Medical Council prohibited Wee from carrying our consultations with female patients without the supervision of a female doctor acting as a chaperone.
The unprecedented order, which is the first of its kind for an ongoing court case, also bars Wee from examining the breast, pelvic, genital or anal areas of female patients. The 18 month order has been in effect for exactly one year so far. It came into effect on 1 May 2017 and will expire this November.
Wee faces 20 years and a fine if he is convicted for rape. He will not be sentenced to caning, even if convicted, since he is above the age of 50.