Male nursing assistant who molested and illegally filmed patients during sedative endoscopy... 'CCTV' controversy reignited

Male nursing assistant touches and films sleeping woman after sedation endoscopy... "Due to sexual curiosity"
Controversy over university hospital intern sexually assaulting anesthetized patient last year
Citizens demand "CCTV installation" in outrage

The photo is not related to specific expressions in the article. [Image source=Getty Images Bank]

[Asia Economy Reporter Heo Midam] Public outrage is growing as a male nursing assistant in his 20s has been handed over to the prosecution for sexually assaulting and illegally filming a sedated female patient. Investigations revealed that the nursing assistant committed these crimes out of sexual curiosity.

Recently, as incidents of sexual crimes against patients in hospitals have occurred repeatedly, calls for the installation of closed-circuit television (CCTV) within hospitals have been increasing. Citizens argue that CCTV is necessary not only to prevent sexual crimes but also to eradicate illegal acts such as proxy surgeries and surgeries performed under the influence of alcohol. On the other hand, organizations like the Korean Medical Association (KMA) claim that installing CCTV places medical staff under constant surveillance, which impairs concentration, causes excessive tension, and ultimately leads to a decline in the quality of medical treatment.

Recently, a male nursing assistant named Jeong Mo (24), who sexually assaulted and illegally filmed female patients who were still asleep after undergoing sedation endoscopy, was handed over to the prosecution.

The police announced on the 12th that Jeong was sent to prosecution in custody on the 9th on charges of quasi-rape, quasi-forced molestation, and illegal filming under the Special Act on Sexual Violence.

He is accused of touching and filming dozens of patients who were asleep after sedation endoscopy at a hospital in Seocho-gu, Seoul, over a six-month period from October last year to April this year. In particular, Jeong reportedly filmed the victims lying down 22 times and touched parts of the women's bodies 19 times.

Jeong's crimes were uncovered when a family member of a victim, who regained consciousness during sedation endoscopy in April, reported to the police. The police found 37 photos of victims on Jeong's PC and mobile phone, and it is reported that there are at least 12 victims.

Jeong admitted all charges during the police investigation, stating that he committed the crimes out of "sexual curiosity."

Citizens continue to demand the mandatory installation of closed-circuit (CC) TVs in operating rooms. The photo is unrelated to specific expressions in the article. [Image source=Yonhap News]

Earlier in June, a former university hospital intern named A was also brought to trial on charges of sexually assaulting sedated female patients in the operating room, sparking controversy.

In April 2019, while working as an intern in the obstetrics and gynecology department of a university hospital in Seoul, A is suspected of repeatedly touching the perineal area and other body parts of patients waiting for surgery under sedation.

At the time, A reportedly made sexually harassing remarks such as "I want to touch (the woman's body) more, so I will stay in the operating room" and "Can I see the hymen?"

After the controversy erupted, the hospital revoked A's training qualification. The 'training cancellation' means that the medical training A had undergone at the hospital is invalidated.

However, A's medical license remains valid, so it is known that A can be re-employed at another hospital and work as a doctor. A petition to the Blue House requesting the cancellation of A's medical license gathered about 86,700 signatures.

As sexual crimes and other illegal acts by medical staff within hospitals continue unabated, citizens still feel uneasy.

Park Mo (27, female), an office worker, said, "It feels like we can no longer receive proper medical treatment at hospitals. I don't even know how many times incidents of sexual assault during sedation endoscopy have occurred while patients were asleep. To prevent such situations, CCTV should be installed not only in operating rooms but also in emergency rooms, intensive care units, and general wards throughout hospitals. I don't understand why CCTV hasn't been installed yet."

Relatedly, a public opinion poll showed that 8 out of 10 citizens support the installation of CCTV in operating rooms. In June, Realmeter conducted a survey commissioned by YTN targeting 500 people aged 18 and over nationwide on the topic of 'installation of CCTV in operating rooms.' The results showed that 78.9% responded 'in favor,' with 48.8% 'strongly in favor' and 30.1% 'somewhat in favor.'

In the political arena, several bills related to CCTV installation to prevent illegal acts in hospitals have been proposed multiple times. In January 2015, former Democratic Party lawmaker Choi Dong-ik first introduced a bill to install CCTV in operating rooms, but it was discarded without discussion in the standing committee. Subsequently, similar bills were proposed during the 19th and 20th National Assemblies but were discarded without review. Currently, three bills related to operating room CCTV are pending in the 21st National Assembly.

However, the medical community still opposes mandatory CCTV installation. They argue that CCTV is not a fundamental solution to illegal acts such as proxy surgeries and that medical practices may become more passive due to CCTV surveillance.

The KMA stated in a press release regarding the legislative push for mandatory CCTV installation and operation in operating rooms, "Installing and operating CCTV in operating rooms alone cannot resolve issues such as proxy surgeries and preservation of evidence for medical accidents."

They added, "Installing CCTV in operating rooms places medical staff under constant surveillance, which impairs concentration, causes excessive tension, and may paradoxically lead to a decline in the quality of medical care. In emergency situations, it may hinder appropriate responses and optimal treatment, making it impossible to create the best surgical environment."

On the 12th, KMA President Lee Pil-su also stated at an online press conference commemorating his 100th day in office, "Our basic position on installing CCTV in operating rooms is voluntary installation, and we continue to oppose mandatory installation. Since no country worldwide has mandated CCTV installation in operating rooms, we will assert the unfairness of such measures and continue to communicate with the political sphere to find alternatives."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.