Propofol Administration Leads to Girlfriend's Death... Plastic Surgery Clinic Director Receives Suspended Sentence in First Trial
Girlfriend Suffering from Insomnia
Secretly Administered Propofol Taken from Hospital for Better Sleep
Court: "Negligence Not Light, but Considering Significant Mental Shock and Pain"
[Asia Economy Reporter Seongpil Cho] A plastic surgeon who administered propofol to his girlfriend suffering from insomnia, resulting in her death, was sentenced to a suspended prison term in the first trial.
According to the legal community on the 4th, Chief Judge Changseok Choi of the Criminal Division 8 at the Seoul Central District Court sentenced A (45), a plastic surgeon in Gangnam, Seoul, who was indicted for violating the Narcotics Control Act and causing death by gross negligence, to 1 year and 6 months in prison with a 3-year suspension. He was also separately fined 5 million won for violating the Medical Service Act.
A was charged with illegally administering propofol, brought from his own clinic, to his girlfriend B (29) twice last April, resulting in her death. He was also accused of falsifying medical records eight times by recording the administration of the drug during other patients' procedures to conceal the illegal administration.
It was investigated that A committed the crime to help B, who was suffering from insomnia, sleep comfortably. It is known that after administering propofol, A left B alone while she was asleep and went out. Later, when B woke up and asked over the phone, "Can the propofol administration speed be increased?" he only said "No" without informing her of the risk of death or taking any other measures. Eventually, B increased the propofol administration speed herself and died.
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The court found all charges against A to be guilty. Regarding sentencing, the court stated, "The responsibility for causing the victim's death due to poor management of propofol is not light," but also considered that "the victim and the defendant were in a romantic relationship, and the defendant also suffered severe mental shock and pain from this incident."
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