By John Q. Hosedrinker 
Zhi Alan Cheng, a doctor in New York City, has been sentenced to 24 years in prison for sexually abusing sedated patients at New York-Presbyterian Queens hospital and raping unconscious women at his home. He pleaded guilty to multiple counts of rape and sexual abuse, admitting to abusing seven women. Evidence, including videos, revealed the abuse occurred in both his home and workplace, often involving the use of sedatives. Cheng’s medical license has been revoked, and the hospital cooperated with the investigation.
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NYC doctor who sexually abused patients in hospital gets 24-year prison sentence, and frankly, it’s a chilling reminder of the depths of betrayal some people are capable of. The fact that a medical professional, someone sworn to heal and protect, would inflict such horrific harm on vulnerable patients is almost incomprehensible. It’s a particularly insidious violation of trust, considering these women were in a hospital, a place where they should feel safe, and at their most vulnerable state.
She was sedated for a procedure in which only the doctor was present? That detail immediately raises a red flag. It’s a scenario that, from my understanding, isn’t standard medical practice for many procedures. Typically, you’d expect at least another medical professional to be present during such a situation. This isolation is a critical element, creating an opportunity for abuse and eliminating any immediate oversight or witnesses.
What I find most disturbing is the thought of a patient waking up in the middle of an assault after being sedated for a routine procedure. That’s a nightmare scenario. It’s a violation of the most basic sense of safety and the complete shattering of trust. The fact that the doctor took advantage of his position, sedating a patient to commit such acts, highlights the pre-meditated nature of the abuse.
The article mentioned this doctor was accused of drugging and sexually abusing/assaulting eight women, including both patients and acquaintances. Given the serial nature of these crimes, with video evidence reportedly proving his guilt, the 24-year sentence, while significant, doesn’t feel adequate. It’s a matter of perspective, but given the power he wielded and the sheer violation of his victims, I’d argue for a sentence that fully reflects the severity of his actions.
The comments around the political landscape and potential pardons are a tangent, but understandable in the current climate. The outrage stems from a fear of a double standard and an erosion of justice. It is the idea that the powerful and connected are often able to manipulate the system and escape consequences that are applied to others. It’s a separate issue, but it stems from the same source of pain, which is a deep distrust in the systems that are meant to protect the vulnerable.
I think there were two groups of women involved: those assaulted at the hospital and those abused at his home. This suggests a pattern of predatory behavior that spanned both his professional and personal life. The fact that he blurred the lines between his medical practice and his private life is another layer of manipulation.
It’s a deeply personal experience to be sexually abused by someone in a position of authority. It’s a violation that can leave lasting scars, and that’s why the reaction of women is so strong on this issue. The story resonates with a broader fear of medical professionals, and the instances of inappropriate actions during medical procedures. The added context of male doctors offering pap smears to a person for an unrelated issue makes the issue even more sensitive.
The issue of medical professionals abusing their position of power isn’t confined to this single case. There are, unfortunately, many instances of misconduct, and even of outright abuse within the medical profession. A book called *Women and Doctors* by Dr. Smith details the myriad of ways women have been mistreated by those they trusted, and there are other examples.
It’s a really common practice now for women to choose female doctors whenever possible. This is especially true for gynecologists, but also for all sorts of doctors. The goal is to try to re-establish a sense of safety and trust that has been destroyed by the actions of a few, but incredibly damaging, individuals.
The fact that this story had previously been circulating, focusing on the abuse of women at the doctor’s home, is also disturbing. It highlights the pattern of behavior and a potential disregard for boundaries and consent, not just within the hospital setting, but also in his private life.