Therapist who molested teen client gets jail and caning
An 18-year-old girl who turned up for a physiotherapy session was instead molested by the owner of the practice.
The teen was left confused during the massage as Luke Manimaran Degarajoo, 43, had touched her inappropriately. She made a police report after confiding in a friend.
Luke, the owner of The Rehab Physio Practice in Delfi Orchard, was sentenced yesterday to 11 months' jail and three strokes of the cane.
The victim had turned up at the practice on March 25 last year at 6.20pm seeking treatment for back and hip pain. Luke told her the session would last 15 minutes and directed her to a massage bed in a therapy room. Meanwhile, the victim's friend waited outside and the door to the room was left half shut.
When the massage started, the teenager was fully clothed. But then Luke told her to remove her top and loosen her shorts.
The victim complied as she thought it was part of the treatment. While massaging, Luke molested her twice after rolling down her underwear and shorts.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Gail Wong said: "The victim felt uncomfortable by the contact but did not shout or ask for help as she was unsure if it was part of the treatment."
The massage ended when the victim heard Luke speaking to her friend who had glanced into the room and was surprised to find her in the nude.
When confronted, Luke claimed the victim needed a deep massage as her injury was "very bad".
After the session ended, he gave her a report detailing his assessment of her condition. She did not complain initially as she was unsure if the way he touched her was part of the treatment.
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