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Nurse sentenced to 2.5 years for groping surgery patient: 'The defendant failed to show restraint'

Published: 27 Aug. 2025, 19:06

An image of a statue of Justitia, the goddess of justice [KOREA JOONGANG DAILY]

A nurse was sentenced to two and a half years in prison for sexually assaulting a patient who was under general anesthesia.

The man, 34, was sentenced in the Incheon District Court for groping a patient at a hospital in Bucheon, Gyeonggi, while she was supposed to be undergoing surgery on Nov. 22, 2024. The court also ordered him to complete 40 hours of a sexual violence treatment program and banned him from working at institutions related to children, teenagers and people with disabilities for five years

The court convicted him of "quasi-indecent assault" and "quasi-rape" which is the term for the act of engaging in sexual intercourse or committing an indecent act with someone who is unconscious or otherwise incapable of consenting under Article 299 of Korea’s Criminal Act.

“The defendant sexually assaulted a patient who needed protection while under general anesthesia,” the court said. “He damaged the victim’s dignity and the trust society places in medical professionals.

The nurse had been assigned to transfer his accuser, a woman in her 20s, to the hospital's first floor X-ray room, the court said, while she was undergoing surgery for a leg injury. He instead took her to the eighth floor, where he reached under her blanket, unbuttoned her surgical pants and repeatedly groped her.

“The defendant failed to show restraint," the court said. Although he expressed remorse, the victim, who suffered significant psychological trauma, has not forgiven him."

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY JUNG SI-NAE [[email protected]]