‘Master of natural healing’ who raped tourist after giving her Rohypnol-laced drink gets 12 years
Married man tried to film crime, which he committed after the German woman went to him with back pain
A self-proclaimed health consultant who raped a German tourist using a date-rape drug mixed into a herbal concoction which also contained vodka was sentenced to 12 years in prison on Wednesday.
During the trial, Man Yiu-fai, 43, claimed he gave the then 23-year-old woman the South American herb ayahuasca for a spiritual ceremony, without knowing that the concoction he offered would contain Flunitrazepam, a date-rape drug also known as Rohypnol.
But deputy High Court judge Mr Justice Michael Stuart-Moore on Wednesday slammed that as “plainly utter nonsense”.
“He knew exactly what he was doing. He had deliberately added Rohypnol for the purpose of rape,” the judge said, saying that the married man showed not “a grain of remorse”.
The judge also noted that Man used a tiny gadget to secretly film the crime to fulfil his “perverted desire”, and that he raped the woman without using any protection.
The offence, he said, took place when Man was under investigation for a similar crime, although the case was dropped for technical reasons.
He knew exactly what he was doing
Man was found guilty in May of one count of rape and another of administering drugs to obtain or facilitate an unlawful sexual act.
The victim, known as “Y” to protect her identity, came to Hong Kong to visit her boyfriend regularly and was introduced to Man by a friend.
During a visit to Man’s Mong Kok office on May 31, 2015, the woman, who had back pain, was given a cup of “black, thick liquid” with an alcoholic smell that resembled a fruit smoothie.
Man claimed the drink, containing ayahuasca, was for a session in which Y was supposed to help him open his “third eye” so that he could connect to spiritual beings.The court heard previously that the drink contained a large amount of vodka, as well as Rohypnol.
Y recalled feeling dizzy after downing the drink. She passed out when she was giving Man a Reiki massage, a Japanese relaxation technique which she promised to do in exchange for him massaging her.
The next thing Y knew Man was raping her, she testified.
An impact report showed the woman suffered serious psychological harm which affected her interpersonal skills, for which further psychological treatment was recommended.
Sentencing Man, Mr Justice Stuart-Moore mentioned how the man’s office was covered with certificates, one which even called him a “master of natural healing”.
“This bears all the hallmarks of a practitioner well qualified as a doctor in Chinese and herbal medicine,” he said, even though Man, who holds a master’s degree in Chinese and herbal medicine from the mainland, had never been a registered practitioner in Hong Kong.
He said Man’s attempt to film the crime with a smartwatch made the case even more sinister.
