Psychiatrist Sentenced to Two-Year Order for Assault on Former Patient

A Sydney court on Monday sentenced former psychiatrist Ong Ming Tan to a two-year intensive correction order after he pleaded guilty to two counts of aggravated indecent assault. The victim, who was treated for eating and mood disorders at the Northside Clinic in Greenwich, told the Downing Centre District Court that Tan stroked her inner thighs during sessions in 2009 and 2010.

She said he instructed her not to wear underwear, told her he was the only person who loved her enough to fix her, and used the code word “boo” to indicate he knew everything about her.

Blackmore said Tan had severely breached the trust of a vulnerable patient. The judge noted evidence that Tan had been largely rehabilitated since the offending and that a community-based sentence was appropriate. Tan must participate in programs specified by community corrections and abstain from alcohol under the order.

The court heard that Tan suffers from bipolar disorder and receives mental health treatment. The Herald can reveal Tan’s identity after his lawyers abandoned an application to suppress his name for 12 months. Tan had previously served three years in prison with a two-year non-parole period after pleading guilty in 2014 to four indecent assaults against other patients.