Dentist cleared of indecency, convicted of common assault
Bastillepost · 4 SOURCES1 day ago6 MIN
Summary
West Kowloon Magistrates’ Courts on Monday acquitted dentist Cheung Yun-lung (張閏龍) of two indecent assault charges linked to two female clinic assistants at his Lai Chi Kok practice, but convicted him of common assault in relation to one complainant and fined him HK$6,000. The magistrate said his conduct in physically guiding a young new employee from behind was deliberate and improper, yet the court could not be sure it was done with an indecent intent.
Key Points
- The case concerned allegations that Cheung, aged 48 in some reports and 47 at the time of the offences in another, indecently assaulted complainant X on 23 September 2023 and complainant Y on 16 October 2023 at Shop 62, 2/F, Banyan Garden, 9 Sham Shing Road, Lai Chi Kok, the premises of “Cheung Yun-lung Dental Clinic”.
- Magistrate Winnie Hung Suet-yu accepted X’s evidence as clear, direct and steady under cross-examination, noting she described Cheung wrapping his arms around her from behind and holding her hands while using a syringe when she was on her first day at work and under 20 years old.
- The court found Cheung could have instructed X verbally or by demonstration, and had no reason to reach around her body; the magistrate described the act as overstepping boundaries and improper, but not an obvious indecent act because there was no direct skin contact and no further conduct.
- On the second charge, the magistrate ruled Y’s testimony was too inconsistent to rely on, saying her account conflicted with her written statement on key details and was at times illogical, so that indecent assault charge was dismissed.
- The defence argued the two complainants had been linked by a former clinic nurse and had colluded to make false accusations, but the magistrate said there was no evidential basis for that claim; the former nurse had admitted connecting them to help communication and encourage X to report the matter to police.
Why It Matters
The ruling leaves Cheung with a criminal conviction even though the indecent assault allegations were not proved, and the court heard he may also face professional disciplinary proceedings that could affect his practice and livelihood. For Hong Kong readers, the judgment also shows how courts may distinguish between inappropriate workplace physical contact and conduct that meets the criminal threshold for indecent assault.