Married doctor caught taking upskirt photos avoids being struck off general register, Hong Kong Medical Council hears
A married anaesthesiologist convicted of taking “upskirt photos” of a woman avoided being struck off the general register when his sentence to be removed from it for four months was suspended for one year, the Medical Council heard.
A married anaesthesiologist convicted of taking “upskirt photos” of a woman avoided being struck off the general register this morning when his sentence to be removed from it for four months was suspended for one year, the Medical Council heard.
Dr Chiang Sing-hoi, who was formerly registered as James Chiang Chi-sum, was convicted at Eastern Court on January 21 last year of behaving in a disorderly manner in a public place and resisting a police officer in the due execution of his duty. He was sentenced to an 18-month probation order.
In February 2013, Chiang was caught by two undercover police officers placing a black handbag under a woman student’s skirt close to Bonham Road in Sai Wan. Officers found three cameras in Chiang’s handbag and underskirt photos on the cameras.
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Chiang did not attend the hearing this morning and was represented by his solicitor Chris Howse.
In mitigation, Howse said it was Chiang’s first offence. He said he had completed the probation order in July and had no psychological or psychiatric problems. Chiang also showed remorse and stopped using a mobile phone with a camera function afterwards.
He said Chiang was under great stress before the offence, because his mother was knocked down by a motorcycle and suffered memory and mobility problems.
Chiang was suspended from duty as an associate consultant in anaesthesia at Queen Mary Hospital from July 2013 to June last year. Howse said he had taken “a serious and harsh lesson” as he did not receive any salary during that period. Giving up his rented accommodation, he had to live with his parents, while his wife lived with her aunt.
Howse said Chiang had actively taken up courses to improve his medical knowledge, such as diplomas in pain management examination and dermatology, during the year of suspension.
He presented numerous letters written by doctors who had worked with Chiang at Queen Mary Hospital and Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern Hospital, saying he was a kind, helpful and skilful doctor.
Describing the risk of Chiang committing a similar offence as “very unlikely”, Howse asked the council to “give him another chance”.
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Chiang was sentenced to have his name removed from the general register of doctors for a period of four months, with a suspension of one year. He also must undergo examinations by a psychiatrist recommended by the council and have a six-monthly report submitted to the council for a period of one year.
Council chairman Professor Joseph Lau Wan-yee said the sentence was based on Chiang committing an offence outside his duty as doctor, and he had received lots of professional recognition and support from colleagues. However, a psychiatric report was necessary to monitor his mental status.
“It is not acceptable if doctors commit crime whenever stress comes ... our judgment is based on whether he would reoffend,” Lau said after the hearing.
