A Filipino doctor who was charged a year ago with sexually assaulting his 53-year-old male patient in Bridgeport, Connecticut was placed in a special probation program on Tuesday, December 19, according to a report.
The judge agreed to grant former Bridgeport Hospital physician, Louie Mar Gangcuangco, his request for accelerated rehabilitation which is a pretrial program available to those accused of nonviolent crimes.
Both the victim and the prosecutor also agreed with the decision.
“I had been prepared to go forward today with the trial but the victim has decided he [wanted] to get on with his life,” said the prosecutor as reported by the Connecticut Post.
Under the one-year probation program, Gangcuangco’s original charge of 4th-degree sexual assault may be dismissed, granted he does not get re-arrested during the probation period.
The patient said he was assaulted by Gangcuangco in November of 2016 when going in to get a heart exam. The doctor allegedly grabbed the patient’s genitals, pinched his nipples, then invited him out to eat.
Gangcuangco — who has maintained a non-guilty plea — agreed to the probation program on Tuesday, but said what he hoped for was an “outright dismissal.”
In a statement he gave to Rappler, he said he was “maliciously accused” by the patient and described the day of the incident being very busy with “at least 15 people at any one time at the medical clinic.”
“The rooms at the clinic also do not have locks. My room that day was right in front of the nurse’s station and at least three other patients were scheduled to see me that afternoon,” he added.
Gangcuangco argued that the patient, after having abnormal lab results from a yearly check-up, required a groin exam.
“He even scheduled a follow-up appointment with me after three months,” said Gangcuangco in the statement.
He added that the reasons for the accusations were made clear after a background check by an investigator found that the patient had an “extensive criminal history of violent crimes, including multiple counts of murder.”
Gangcuangco said his lawyer told him that the patient allegedly wanted hundreds and thousands of dollars to let the case go.
“Because of my silence, I had been painted to be the villain in this story; but in reality, I am the victim here,” the statement read.
The Connecticut Post quoted the 53-year-old victim Tuesday who said, “I’m just not convinced he is remorseful.”
“He had no permission, he shouldn’t have done it and I just hope he doesn’t do it again,” the patient added.
Gangcuangco’s lawyer, Sean Barrett, said Tuesday that Gangcuangco had lost his job at the hospital due to the charges, and will be returning to the Philippines when his visa expires.
“He has lost his position as a result of the case and up until then he had led an exemplary career as a physician,” said Barrett as reported by the Connecticut Post. (Rae Ann Varona/AJPress)
