Woman alleges ‘overly familiar’ massage therapist touched her breast, TCM clinic says he has been ‘admonished’
A woman has expressed her deep discomfort and frustration at allegedly inappropriate behaviour by her family’s regular massage therapist.
Stomper Susan shared more about her sister May’s uncomfortable experience with the male therapist at Gong Fang Tang TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) on Feb 4, during a full body massage.
According to its website, Gong Fang Tang TCM offers a range of TCM services like cupping, tuina and medicinal baths. It has two outlets located in Kinex Mall and along East Coast Road.
During the session, the therapist appeared to “focus an excessive amount of time” on May’s armpit and upper chest areas, said Susan.
According to the Stomper, he became “increasingly inappropriate” as he moved “repeatedly” close to May’s chest.
Susan claimed that the therapist touched May’s stomach without consent towards the end of the massage, when she was seated upright. He then allegedly touched her breast after moving his hand past her armpit area.
Susan said May signalled her discomfort several times throughout the massage, such as by covering herself and pushing his hand away.
“She left feeling shocked, unsafe and disturbed,” Susan added.
The Stomper said she and her family had been patronising the shop since 2023, attending sessions with the same male therapist in question over the years.
“Her previous experiences were generally normal and uneventful, which is why this incident was unexpected,” Susan told Stomp.
Susan said the therapist was “overly familiar” on the day of the incident and frequently made “personal comments” about May’s appearance, such as calling her “very pretty” and the “prettiest customer”. He also “repeatedly asked her to sleep”.
May’s family subsequently made a police report. Susan also sent Gong Fang Tang TCM three emails, but said she has not received a response or any acknowledgement from them to date.
Gong Fang Tang TCM ‘did not receive any complaint’
On March 27, a representative from Gong Fang Tang TCM told Stomp via email at 5.12pm that the company was unable to comment while police investigations were underway.
Shortly after, at 5.38pm on the same day, the establishment sent another email saying it had “discontinued dispatching any female customer job for him, until the police report comes out”.
This was followed by a third email an hour later, stating that Gong Fang Tang “did not receive any complaint from the customer about this incident at all” and “did not know this incident until police came up to do an investigation”.
“We immediately stopped him from work for a few days, and then we let him back on a condition that he cannot do any job on female customers until a further investigation report comes out,” said the spokesperson.
Police and AGC confirm ‘no further action’ taken
In response to Stomp’s queries on this case, the police confirmed on April 7 that investigations into a 42-year-old man for an alleged offence of criminal force have concluded.
“Upon the completion of investigations and after careful consideration of the facts and circumstances of the matter, the police, in consultation with the Attorney-General’s Chambers, have taken no further action against the 42-year-old man,” said the police.
Gong Fang Tang TCM said that as of March 31, the male therapist has been “admonished (to be) mindful of his interaction under any circumstances”.
The company said it would dismiss the therapist immediately and report him to the police should such a case happen again.
Susan told Stomp that the experience has been a distressing one for May as she still sees the therapist “loitering” in the mall the clinic is located in.
“My sister needs to bring my nephew to class at the mall on a weekly basis and she is so scared,” Susan lamented.
“I hope the guy gets dismissed, seriously, (but) it seems impossible.”
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