Sydney Psychiatrist Ong Ming Tan, Previously Jailed for Sexual Assaults, Convicted Again

May 27, 2026

Former Sydney psychiatrist Ong Ming Tan, who previously served prison time for sexually assaulting four patients, has avoided returning to jail after pleading guilty to two more indecent assaults involving another former patient. The survivor told the court the abuse “affected every part” of her life emotionally, physically, socially, and financially. Tan assaulted her while she was being treated for eating and mood disorders at Northside Clinic in Greenwich between 2009 and 2010.

Court documents described years of manipulation and exploitation of trust. Tan allegedly encouraged the patient not to wear underwear, isolated her through secrecy rules, and convinced her he was the only person who could “fix” her. The woman later developed PTSD, anxiety, intrusive thoughts, and severe distrust of healthcare settings, requiring ongoing treatment and hospitalizations.

Although the judge said Tan had “severely breached” the trust of a vulnerable patient, the court imposed a two-year intensive correction order instead of prison, citing evidence of rehabilitation and his own mental health treatment. Tan’s medical license had already been cancelled following his earlier convictions, which stemmed from complaints by other young eating disorder patients more than a decade ago.

(Source: WA Today, May 26, 2026)