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A 56-year-old hospital cleaner was sentenced to two years and two months’ jail on Friday (April 22) for molesting a paralysed patient, who was only able to confirm later that she had been groped under her pyjamas by blinking to a nurse.
Ng Yee, a Singaporean, was caught red-handed by the nurse, who was on duty at the time.
The victim and the hospital where the incident happened cannot be named due to a court order to protect her identity.
District Judge Kessler Soh noted that the degree of sexual intrusion was high, as Ng had groped the victim under her pyjama top with skin-on-skin contact.
His act was not a fleeting touch and lasted for 15 seconds, the judge said. The victim was unable to resist or seek help because she is completely paralysed, functionally dependent and non-communicative, he added.
While Ng suffered from schizophrenia, District Judge Soh said he placed no weight on his condition as no causal link had been established between his mental illness and his conduct.
His jail sentence includes two months’ jail in lieu of four strokes of the cane. Those aged 50 or above cannot be caned under Singapore law.
He had just finished mopping the floor when he saw the victim lying in her bed with the top two buttons of her pyjama top unbuttoned.
Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) Ng Jun Chong told the court that Ng “started to think about touching the victim’s breast”.
He then molested the victim for about 15 seconds.