SINGAPORE: While seeking treatment at a public hospital, a man exposed himself to a nurse and asked her for sexual favours.
When she turned him down, he asked her to keep it between them and persuaded her to scrub his back as he showered.
On Jan 30, Charles Teng Wei Yian was sentenced to five weeks’ jail after pleading guilty to insulting the modesty of the nurse.
A gag order has been imposed to protect her identity.
Court documents show that Teng, 44, was hospitalised from Sept 10 to Sept 23, 2024, as he suffered from liver inflammation.
Teng had to use a urine bag after surgery as part of his treatment. He was told to ask the nurses for help if he needed to use the toilet as the tube from the urine bag needed to remain in position.
Some time after 9.30pm on Sept 15, 2024, Teng called for a nurse as he wanted to take a shower. When the female nurse responded to his call and heard his request, she offered to get a male nurse to help him instead.
Teng then asked why she could not follow him into the toilet and added that he wanted to tell her something.
The prosecution said the nurse did not become suspicious as it was common for patients to raise medical issues with nurses.
She proceeded to help him to the toilet by carrying his urine bag.
Once they were in the toilet, Teng lowered his voice and told the nurse that “as a man, I have my own personal needs, and I need you to help me”.
She understood that he was asking her for sexual favours and became alarmed. At this point, she immediately drew the shower curtain between them as she was still holding onto his urine bag.
The prosecution said the man was not remorseful even after the nurse rejected his request, and he decided to walk out of the shower area and exposed himself fully to the nurse before asking her to help him scrub his back.
The nurse felt duty-bound to remain in the toilet to help Teng with his shower even though she was fearful, the prosecution added.
Said the prosecution: “Nurses, in the course of their work, will have to help patients with toileting and showering. This case shows just how vulnerable nurses are to such forms of criminal conduct. There is therefore strong public interest in deterring such acts against nurses.”
Those found guilty of insulting the modesty of another person can be jailed for up to a year, fined, or both. - The Straits Times/ANN
