Wife of doctor accused of rape says he has erectile problem


Wee Teong Boo allegedly molested and raped a 23-year-old woman on two occasions in late 2015.
PHOTO: ST FILE

SINGAPORE - The wife of a doctor accused of molesting and raping a patient took the stand on Wednesday (July 11) to defend her husband, saying she "firmly believes" in his character and that he is unable to rape a woman due to problems with his sexual ability.

Madam Quek Bee Nar, 61, has been married to Wee Teong Boo, 67, for 40 years. The couple have five children aged 20 to 39.

Madam Quek, a real estate agent, is also a director of Wee's Clinic and Surgery, where Wee allegedly molested and raped a 23-year-old woman on two occasions in late 2015.

Madam Quek told the court that her husband has had trouble achieving and sustaining an erection since 2015. "Aside from believing in his character, his penis is so soft, how could he have raped the woman?" she said.

The court heard that the couple engaged in sexual intercourse once or twice a month in 2015. Wee had trouble achieving or sustaining an erection and thus penetrative sexual intercourse was not always possible.

Madam Quek testified that she was first asked about her sex life by the police on Jan 1, 2016, after she was informed that Wee was being investigated for rape. She told the police that sex with her husband was "very fast". When asked to explain herself, she only said that Wee is "old already". She failed to mention details of his inability to achieve erection.

The prosecution had tried to impeach Madam Quek's credibility on account of the inconsistencies between her statement to the police and her testimony in court. But this was rejected by Justice Chua Lee Ming.

When Deputy Public Prosecutor Amanda Chong asked why she omitted the details despite them being crucial to his defence, Madam Quek said she did not have experience giving a police statement and was "too shy" to share intimate details of her sex life with the male police officer interviewing her.

She added that she did not understand the purpose of the police's question, thinking that it was to gauge if she and her husband were "in love".

She also thought Wee would not be charged. "I was too naive to think that the law is fair," she said.

DPP Chong put it to Madam Quek that if Wee truly had an erectile problem, she would have told the police and that she was lying about her husband's ability to achieve erection.

Madam Quek said: "I'm someone who doesn't like to lie. To disclose these intimate details and to share them with the public is very difficult for me."

She took the stand after Ms Toh Yin Ling, a patient who consulted Wee right after the alleged rape. Ms Toh told the court that the victim looked "normal" after her session with Wee.

The trial will continue in October.

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