An Indian national working as a staff nurse at a premium Singapore hospital was sentenced to one year and two months’ jail, along with two strokes of the cane, after pleading guilty to a molestation charge.
The accused, Elipe Siva Nagu, 34, reportedly molested a male visitor at Raffles Hospital in June, under the pretext of wanting to “disinfect” the victim, according to The Straits Times.
Incident details
Deputy Public Prosecutor Eugene Phua told the court that the victim had visited his grandfather at the hospital on June 18. Around 7.30 pm, the victim entered a patient’s toilet when Elipe reportedly looked inside. Claiming he needed to “disinfect” the visitor, Elipe applied soap to his hand and molested the victim.
The victim, shocked by the act, remained still and later returned to his grandfather’s bedside. Court documents did not provide further details of the immediate aftermath, but the case was formally reported on June 21, and Elipe was arrested two days later.
Impact on the victim
The offence reportedly caused the victim flashbacks and emotional distress. Details such as the victim’s age were redacted from court records to protect his identity.
Legal proceedings and punishment
Following his arrest, Elipe was suspended from his nursing duties at Raffles Hospital. On Friday, the court handed down a sentence of 14 months’ imprisonment along with two strokes of the cane, underscoring Singapore’s strict stance on sexual offences.
The case has drawn attention to workplace misconduct in healthcare settings and the need for stringent safeguards to protect patients and visitors in hospitals.