Singapore court sentences Indian national nurse to 14 months’ jail, caning over molestation charge

An Indian national working as a staff nurse at Singapore’s Raffles Hospital has been sentenced to a year and two months’ jail and two strokes of the cane after pleading guilty to molestation. The incident occurred in June, when 34-year-old Elipe Siva Nagu molested a male visitor under the pretext of wanting to “disinfect” him, The Straits Times reported.

The Deputy Public Prosecutor, Eugene Phua, told the court that the victim had visited the hospital to see his grandfather, who was admitted there. Around 7.30 pm on June 18, the victim entered a patient’s toilet, where Elipe looked inside. Claiming he wanted to “disinfect” the victim, Elipe put soap on his hand and molested him. The victim, startled, did not move due to shock and later returned to his grandfather’s bedside. Details about the victim, including his age, were redacted from court documents.

Arrest and sentencing

Elipe was suspended from his nursing duties soon after the offence. The case was reported to authorities on June 21, and Elipe was arrested two days later. During sentencing on Friday, the court noted that the offence had caused the victim to experience flashbacks of the incident. Elipe was subsequently handed a sentence of a year and two months’ imprisonment along with two strokes of the cane.