Acupuncturist charged with sexual assault

A private home acupuncture practitioner has been charged with sexually assaulting his 26-year-old patient.

Wen Xiang Qin, 52,  was arrested on March 22 after the woman contacted 42 Division police.

His client alleges she was assaulted during four separate instances in which she visited him for treatment between January and March, including the final incident which provoked the police call. The woman’s name has been protected under a court-ordered ban.

Qin was scheduled to appear in a Toronto East Courthouse at 10 a.m. the next morning but the case was postponed until March 26.

Police are unsure whether Qin is licensed to administer acupuncture therapy and they suspect there could be other victims. Qin has been running a clinic out of his home located at 3827 Finch Ave. East for more than a year.

Acupuncture is a traditional medicinal procedure in which needles are inserted into various points on the body to help alleviate conditions such as stroke, headaches, sprain, nausea, depression, and pain among other ailments.

Just days after Qin was arrested, Albert Rode, a British Columbia acupuncturist was cleared of all charges in a similar sex-assault case.

Two individuals who are suspected to be Qin’s family members were home but were not able to comment on the case. His lawyer, Patrick Sun was contacted said he could not cannotdue to a publication ban on any new information for this case.

The case is ongoing and Qin’s next scheduled appeared in court is April 27 at 10 a.m.

About this article

By: Rishma Lucknauth
Posted: Apr 9 2010 8:05 am
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