Court upholds 16-year sentence for doctor who prescribed drugs to Rolls-Royce driver and raped patients

Yeom, accused of prescribing narcotics to the so-called “Rolls-Royce driver,” leaves the Seoul Central District Court after a warrant hearing on Dec. 27, 2023. Newsis

The Supreme Court has finalized a 16-year prison sentence for a doctor who prescribed illegal drugs to the driver involved in the high-profile “Rolls-Royce incident” and raped multiple women while they were under sedation.

The Supreme Court, presided over by Justice Oh Seok-jun, upheld a lower court ruling on Tuesday, sentencing Yeom, whose full name was withheld, to 16 years in prison and a fine of 5 million won ($3,700) for violations of the Narcotics Control Act and quasi-rape.

Yeom was indicted for illegally prescribing and administering a variety of controlled substances, including propofol, midazolam and ketamine, to Shin, the Rolls-Royce driver who in August 2023 fatally struck a pedestrian near Apgujeong Station in Seoul while under the influence of drugs. The court concluded that the drugs were not used for medical purposes.

In addition to the drug charges, Yeom was also convicted of repeatedly raping over 10 female patients while they were under sedation and illegally filming their bodies hundreds of times without consent.

The Seoul Central District Court initially sentenced Yeom to 17 years in prison and a 5 million won fine in June last year. The court emphasized the gravity of his crimes, saying, “One cannot overlook the moral collapse of a medical professional entrusted with the highest ethical standards.”

The Seoul High Court later reduced his sentence by one year in January 2024, citing Yeom’s partial admission of guilt and a 76 million won deposit he made as part of restitution efforts. The Supreme Court rejected Yeom’s final appeal, ruling that there was no error in the previous verdict.

Meanwhile, Shin, the driver who caused the fatal crash after taking drugs prescribed by Yeom, was sentenced to 20 years in prison in the first trial. His sentence was later reduced to 10 years on appeal and finalized by the Supreme Court in October 2023.

This article from the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.