A 34-year-old Indian staff nurse, Elipe Siva Nagu, has been sentenced to one year and two months in prison, along with two strokes of the cane, after pleading guilty to a charge of molestation involving a male visitor at Singapore’s Raffles Hospital.

Nurse Molests Male Visitor in Toilet

According to Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) Eugene Phua, the offence took place on June 18 inside a patient’s toilet at the hospital on North Bridge Road. The court was told that the victim had gone to visit his grandfather, who was warded there. Around 7.30 pm, while the visitor was using the toilet, Elipe peered inside. On the pretext of wanting to “disinfect” the victim, he applied soap to his hand and molested him, said DPP Phua.

Shocked by the sudden act, the victim did not react immediately and later returned to his grandfather’s bedside. The incident, however, left him emotionally distressed and suffering from recurring flashbacks, the court heard.

The case came to light when it was reported on June 21, and Elipe was arrested two days later, on June 23. Following the offence, Raffles Hospital suspended him from his nursing duties.

Fake ‘Disinfection’ Leads to Jail for Nurse

Court documents did not reveal further details about the victim, including his age, as these were redacted for privacy.

Delivering the sentence on Friday, the court imposed a jail term of one year and two months and two strokes of the cane.

The Straits Times reported that the molestation took place after Elipe falsely claimed he wanted to “disinfect” the visitor a claim the court found to be a deceptive pretext for his actions.