Doctor acquitted of molesting woman

An anaesthesiologist accused of four counts of molestation had all of his charges withdrawn yesterday, after the purported victim admitted to lying in court during earlier proceedings.

Upon the prosecution's application, District Judge Ng Peng Hong gave Dr Yeo Sow Nam a discharge amounting to an acquittal.

This means that the 52-year-old Singaporean cannot be charged again with the same offences.

Dr Yeo, who is a director at The Pain Specialist, had been accused of molesting a 32-year-old woman on the 12th storey of Mount Elizabeth Hospital on the evening of Oct 9, 2017.

She cannot be named due to a gag order, but the court heard yesterday that she was not a patient, employee or fellow doctor.

During the trial which started in March, the woman admitted in court that she had told several lies.

Dr Yeo was represented by lawyers Eugene Thuraisingam, Chooi Jing Yen and Johannes Hadi.

In their submissions, the lawyers said: "This is clearly not a case where there is a gap between the commission of a crime and the prosecution's ability to prove it in court.

"The complainant is not an 'alleged victim'... but a self-confessed perjurer who has admitted to knowingly giving false evidence on oath to this honourable court."

For instance, she said during the trial in March that she remembered him resting his hand on her hip. She later decided to change her evidence when Mr Thuraisingam grilled her, this time stating that she could not recall Dr Yeo committing the act.

She then admitted that she had lied after the lawyer asked her: "When you told the court that you remember him resting his hand on your hip, you were telling a lie. Agree or disagree?"

In their submissions, Dr Yeo's legal team also said that the woman admitted she had changed her evidence to make her overall story more believable.

She also agreed with Mr Thuraisingam's statement when he said she had "no qualms about lying about things sometimes (when) it's advantageous" for her to do so.

The defence lawyers also said in their submissions that the woman lied in court when she claimed that Dr Yeo had kissed her forehead and cupped her breasts.

They added: "We submit that her acts of perjury in relation to her allegations against Dr Yeo clearly and decisively vindicate his factual innocence, and disqualify her from continued protection under the gag order.

"The public interest presently at stake, therefore, concerns open justice and public confidence in the administration of justice. The press is bound to report on the prosecution's mid-trial decision to withdraw the charges against Dr Yeo and the subsequent (discharge amounting to an acquittal) granted to him."

In a public statement yesterday, Dr Yeo said that he is "vindicated by the grace of God".

He added: "I am glad that truth has prevailed... However, I am also disappointed that with her lies, the complainant has jeopardised the good, necessary and difficult work of ensuring access to justice for real victims of sex crimes, many of whom already hesitate to accuse their attackers publicly.

"I hope that (the) verdict does not discourage real victims of sex crimes from coming forward, or set back the moral agenda in their favour."

It was not mentioned in court yesterday if action will be taken against the woman, but the gag order on her identity remains for now.

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Plans to seek legal counsel on taking action against accuser

An anaesthesiologist who had four molestation charges against him withdrawn yesterday said he will seek legal counsel on taking action against his accuser.

The woman, who cannot be named due to a gag order, had accused Dr Yeo Sow Nam of outraging her modesty on Oct 9, 2017.

District Judge Ng Peng Hong gave Dr Yeo a discharge amounting to an acquittal yesterday, after the woman earlier admitted that she had lied in court during the trial which started in March.

In an e-mail interview with The Straits Times, the 52-year-old Singaporean doctor said: "I believe that we have a good system that will dispense justice by protecting the true victim. As for the false accuser, we will have to leave it to the relevant authorities."

Dr Yeo told ST that the past four years were "very painful and disruptive" for him and his loved ones. He said he is very relieved that his ordeal is finally over, adding: "I was initially shocked that this could happen to me... However, I was absolutely confident that the truth would prevail and that I would be exonerated.

"Nonetheless, it was a very harsh and distressing experience for me to be falsely accused of serious sexual misconduct when I have always upheld the highest professional standards of medical practice and care for my patients."

Dr Yeo also said that he was "disturbed" by a few issues. For instance, he could not believe that the incident could happen to someone "who had done nothing wrong".

He told ST: "I'm concerned that the perpetrator of the lies and false accusations against me remains free and unpunished. She remains a threat to the medical profession, our patients and society. She is also protected by a gag order."

He added: "Many of my colleagues and friends in the medical community share these grave concerns."

The doctor told ST that while he is grateful the judicial process managed to expose the woman's "deceit", he wondered whether such false accusations could be identified much earlier during the investigative process.

"This would have saved me and my family much pain and suffering," said Dr Yeo.