'He moved my bra strap aside': TCM clinic in Clementi suspends male massage therapist following woman's molestation claims
A woman claimed that her 'tui na' therapist had molested her during the session.
PHOTO: Pexels
PUBLISHED ONSeptember 20, 2023 12:55 AMByLim KeweiWhat was supposed to be a healing massage for this woman turned awry after she was allegedly molested by a therapist.
The 30-year-old woman, who declined to be named, had visited the Clementi branch of Ma Kuang TCM Clinic on Sept 14 for 'tui na' therapy to relieve muscle aches in her shoulders, neck and lower back, Shin Min Daily News reported.
'Tui na' is a traditional Chinese medical massage that unblocks 'qi' in the body.
She was then assigned to a male therapist, who guided her to the massage room which was divided by curtains. She also noted that there were other patients in the room.
"The first 30 minutes of the massage seemed normal. But he later moved my bra strap aside, and made me feel uncomfortable," the woman told Shin Min.
During the massage, she said that he also asked her to change positions multiple times and raise her arms, putting her at risk of exposing her chest and back.
"When I voiced out my concerns, the therapist used one hand to press a towel against my chest and continued the 'tui na' with his other hand," she said.
Massaged tailbone to relieve lower back pain
The woman also questioned why the therapist had to massage her tailbone when she had lower back pain.
"He told me that my tailbone was misaligned and asked if I had fallen and landed on that area before," she said.
According to her, the therapist also massaged her buttock area, saying that it would help to realign her tailbone.
"Throughout the whole process, however, I felt that he was taking advantage of me under the pretense of giving a massage," the woman told the Chinese evening daily.
She also said that the therapist pushed her underwear down to her thigh area while massaging her tailbone area, a move that she felt was inappropriate.
"My buttocks was exposed and that made me feel uneasy," the woman explained. "He also used a lot of force during the massage and asked if I was in pain. At that time, I didn't think much of it as I knew that the clinic is legit."
After the therapy session, however, her anxiety grew as the therapist repeatedly asked for her phone number and home address.
"He kept telling me that he wanted to have a meal with me and also suggested doing a home visit, his words troubled me," she added.
After consulting other 'tui na' practitioners, the woman returned to the TCM clinic the following day to inform them of the incident and proceeded to file a police report on Sept 16.
In response to AsiaOne's queries, the police confirmed that a report was lodged and investigations are ongoing.
Staff immediately suspended: Clinic
Ma Kuang TCM Clinic staff told Shin Min that they immediately started looking into the matter after the woman alerted them about the incident on Sept 15.
The clinic immediately suspended the therapist involved and they have offered the client their assistance, a spokesperson said.
Ma Kuang emphasised that the clinic has strict standards for their employees, and said that it also filed a police report over the incident.
Another TCM practitioner told Shin Min that 'tui na' therapists ought to be aware of sensitive areas of the body and refrain from touching them.
When a male therapist is attending to a female patient, there would normally be a third person present to prevent any misunderstandings, the practitioner said.
In cases such as treating lower back pain in female patients, therapists can consider using other 'tui na' methods to resolve the issue, she suggested.