A New York City physician has been sentenced to 24 years in prison for a series of sexual assaults against sedated patients and unconscious women. Dr. Zhi Alan Cheng, formerly of New York-Presbyterian Queens Hospital, has admitted to abusing seven women, including three patients under his care.
According to the Queens district attorney’s office, Dr. Cheng pleaded guilty to four counts of rape and three counts of sexual abuse. The evidence suggests that most victims were unaware of the assaults due to sedation. One patient, however, regained consciousness during an attack following a gastrointestinal procedure.
The 35-year-old doctor’s crimes came to light in 2022 when a female acquaintance discovered video evidence of her own assault while unconscious at his residence. Subsequent searches by law enforcement uncovered additional recordings of abuse at both his home and workplace, as well as liquid anesthesia.
This raises important questions about patient safety and medical oversight. Reports indicate that New York-Presbyterian officials have cooperated fully with the criminal investigation. Dr. Cheng has been barred from practicing medicine.
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This case underscores the vulnerability of patients under sedation and the critical importance of stringent safeguards in medical settings.
