Arabic version: سجن طبيب نفسي أطفال سابق في بيرث بتهمة إساءة معاملة مرضاه

According to ABC News, former Perth child psychiatrist Benjamin Wen has been sentenced to 10 years and six months in prison for sexually abusing young patients and later filming boys in public toilets. Wen, 52, was sentenced in the WA District Court after being found guilty in April of multiple offences against 12 victims.

The offences against patients occurred between 2012 and 2016 at Wen’s clinic in Perth’s south. The court heard Wen touched the boys’ genitals under the pretext of conducting “puberty checks” that he said were routine. His convictions included indecent dealing with a child under 13 and persistent sexual conduct with a child under 16.

In sentencing remarks, Judge Linda Petrusa said Wen’s breach of trust was at the highest level. She told him that his victims were children who needed help, were vulnerable, and that he had exploited that vulnerability. The judge received nine victim impact statements from children and their parents. One mother said she felt she had failed her son, while another person wrote they were haunted by the memory of what Wen did.

Wen had received a suspended sentence in 2017 for making videos of boys urinating in public toilets in Canada, the United States, New Zealand and Perth. The publicity surrounding that case prompted parents of former patients to contact WA Police. During sentencing submissions, the court heard Wen had diagnoses including rheumatoid arthritis, neuralgia, ASD, PTSD and OCD. He must serve eight years and six months before becoming eligible for parole.