Covertly filmed victims of breast surgeon Ho Keun Shin – aka Dr Peter Shin – confront him in court

An Adelaide surgeon who hid a phone in a tissue box to secretly record patients has come face-to-face with two of the angry victims he violated.

Brave victims of a specialist breast surgeon who covertly recorded patients without permission – using a phone hidden in a tissue box with a corner cut off – have confronted him in court.

Ho Keun Shin – who practised as Dr Peter Shin – pleaded guilty to 12 counts of indecently filming 11 adult patients at Flinders Medical Centre and the Breast and Endocrine Centre at Toorak Gardens between October 2019 and August 2021.

His offending was uncovered when a patient noticed the corner of a surgical glove box had been cut away and appeared to contain a camera. The box had been left on an ultrasound table during a physical exam where her breasts were exposed.

Two of his victims, who cannot be identified, read victim impact statements to the court outlining their disgust, vulnerability and the ongoing trauma at having their privacy violated.

“I feel so disgusted. I am shocked, I’m humiliated and I’m so angry that you used your power to abuse me and other women,” one said.

Ho Keun Shin, who practised as Dr Peter Shin, outside court after an earlier hearing. Picture: Naomi Jellicoe

“I will never trust a male medical professional again.

“The surgery scars on my body that you created are a daily reminder to me of how you’ve used me and violated my trust.”

Another woman told the court of her “absolute disgust” at Shin’s actions and the shame he had brought to the medical profession.

“Doctor’s do not violate the trust given to them by their patients,” she said.

“Peter Shin is not a doctor in my eyes.

“On top of the gut-wrenching sick feeling of betrayal and violation, I was also so angry.”

She said Shin had “stomped on” her trust in the medical profession.

Kathryn McDonald, prosecuting, said the offending was a “particularly serious” breach of trust and “grave” example of the offence which required punishment and denunciation.

“Breast cancer is a risk for all women, and routinely women in our community will need to engage in breast screens and examinations and for some, treatment and surgery. Every woman in out community needs to know that they can access that crucial health care safely and respectfully.

She said Shin had told police he did not have a valid excuse for his conduct.

“It was just for personal use … it was an error in my judgment,” he told police in an interview.

“I just wanted to play it back and look.

“It’s hard to explain the exact motivation, but it was, yes, I would call it a voyeurism.”

She urged the court to impose a term of imprisonment, but did no oppose a home detention sentence.

David Edwardson KC, for Shin, 46, of Beaumont, apologised to the women on behalf of his client. He said Shin, a father of three, was no longer practising and was unlikely to ever practice again. He said his family now relied on his wife’s cleaning income, and his family had been left humiliated and ashamed.

He said at the time of the offending Shin had an “absolutely enormous” workload while working his two jobs and that his offending was an “appalling error of judgment”.

“He can and he does recognise that what he did was absolutely wrong,” Mr Edwardson said.

He urged the court to impose a merciful sentence which took into consideration his remorse and prior good character.

Magistrate Kym Millard ordered a home detention report. He will sentence Shin next month.