A well-known psychiatrist in Taitung, Taiwan, who was once celebrated for his charity work and medical outreach, has been convicted of sexually harassing and raping a male patient by exploiting their doctor-patient relationship.
The Taitung District Court found the doctor, surnamed Yang, guilty of sexual harassment by abusing a medical opportunity and rape, sentencing him to four months’ imprisonment for the harassment charge and four years and eight months’ jail for rape. The ruling is subject to appeal.
According to court documents, the victim, identified only as Xiaowei, attended a psychiatric consultation in February 2025.
During the session, Yang allegedly hugged the patient, commented on his weight, unexpectedly lifted his shirt, and later touched the patient’s private parts over his clothing despite being told to stop.
The victim later mentioned he was worried about finding accommodation for his mother, who planned to visit Taitung. Yang allegedly offered to let them stay in an unused space and suggested future counselling sessions could also be held there to avoid consultation fees.
However, after the appointment, the patient discovered the “unused space” was actually the doctor’s hospital dormitory.
Later that afternoon, the pair travelled separately to the dormitory. Prosecutors said Yang again made unwanted sexual advances before forcibly pulling the victim onto a sofa.
The court heard that Yang allegedly kissed the victim, ignored his resistance and forced him to perform a sexual act. The assault reportedly only stopped after an alarm on Yang’s phone reminded him to pick up his child.
Following the incident, the victim confided in friends and later sought advice from ChatGPT before eventually contacting Taiwan’s 113 protection hotline to report the assault.
Yang denied the rape allegation throughout the trial and claimed that conversations stored on his damaged mobile phone had been lost.
However, the court found the victim’s testimony to be credible. Judges also noted that Yang admitted sending inappropriate messages to patients, including remarks such as, “Next time I’ll spank you,” and, “Be careful or I’ll eat you next time.”
The court further noted that Yang had worked at the hospital for more than a decade and would have known that hospital dormitories were not permitted to be used for personal purposes.
He was ultimately convicted on both charges. The case remains subject to appeal.
