Ray Wong: Active Motion Physio in court over alleged sexual touching

A physio accused of putting a towel over a patient’s eyes before massaging her breasts was captured on CCTV after apologising, a court heard.

A physiotherapist who is accused of massaging the breasts of a patient told her he was “sorry” and “embarrassed” in CCTV footage just after the alleged incident but he told the court that the apology had nothing to do with the charges against him.

Wah Fu Wong, also known as Ray, has pleaded not guilty to two charges of sexually touching a woman without consent – with one being an aggravated charge as she was a patient under his care.

Ray Wong, 38, the head physiotherapist and owner of Active Motion Physiotherapy clinics in Ryde and Chatswood, faced Burwood Local Court for the first time on Monday.

Ray Wong has pleaded not guilty to two charges of sexually touching a woman without consent – with one being an aggravated charge as she was a patient under his care.

The patient and alleged victim had first attended the Blaxland Road clinic on the first week of May last year.

She returned for a follow-up session a week later on May 13 where she alleges Wong put both his hands on her breasts and massaged them.

Wong donned a pale blue suit and was accompanied by his girlfriend as he faced day one of his hearing.

CCTV footage taken before and after the alleged assault was played in court as part of the prosecution’s case.

One clip showed Wong looking at himself in the mirror while fixing his hair and shirt before he went into the foyer to fetch the complainant on May 13.

The front of the Ryde clinic where the alleged incident occurred. Picture: Matthew Vasilescu

Another video was taken just after the alleged assault, showing the complainant in the foyer appearing visibly upset as Wong stood behind the counter and apologised.

“I haven’t been thinking straight so I do apologise,” he said.

“I feel very sorry. It was embarrassing,” he added.

When Wong took the stand he was questioned by his defence barrister Winston Terracini SC on what he was apologising for.

He told the court he had apologised because she “appeared to be upset” yet he claimed he didn’t know why.

Ray Wong

Wong said he assumed that she was upset from “issues” that arose during the consultation relating to her not being able to complete exercises between her first and second appointment because of pain.

He said he might have come across too “insistent” in trying to sell her a $200 cellulite treatment machine.

“I was quite insistent and I got the feeling she thought I was selling her some stuff. Trying to get money off her,” he told the court.

When his lawyer asked if he massaged or touched her breasts in any way, Wong said, “Definitely not.”

Police prosecutor Thomas Kwong then asked Wong how he concluded that the patient appeared upset.

“(It’s because) she refused. Sorry, she didn’t refuse. She did not agree to it... Her expression as well,” he told the court.

The court heard he had put his hands on her collarbone and underneath her breast on her diaphragm as part of an assessment.

Sgt Kwong told the court a towel was also put over her eyes during the physical assessment.

Ray Wong is the head physiotherapist and owner of Active Motion Physiotherapy clinic in Ryde and Chatswood

He said, “Do you accept touching the breast is not part of an assessment,” to which Wong said “yes.”

“There’s no reason for your face to be 1cm from her left breast,” Sgt Kwong said before claiming that was why he was apologising.

“No,” Wong replied.

The alleged victim, who appeared via audiovisual link, said she was given a massage and that Wong’s hands moved “up and down” her body before they allegedly stopped on her breasts.

In cross-examination, Mr Terracini asked why she didn’t ask Wong why he grabbed her breasts if that’s what she claimed to have happened.

“I told him,” she replied.

Yet Mr Terracini said there was no mention of that in the police statement.

While she said it might not be in the statement she claimed she did tell Wong in person.

“I asked him what he was doing. It was very unprofessional,” she said.

She told the court she thought he had “crossed the line.”

“When someone is giving you a massage it could be their hands get very close to your breast or an intimate part,” she said.

“It’s like going to a doctor thinking he would check you ... it’s the same as this professional. I thought it was his purpose to work on my muscles you know, not that he wanted to touch me.”

Jennifer Hockley who has seen Wong as a patient for 10 years took the stand and said that he was always “very professional.”

She told the court that he would tell her what he was going to do before he conducted any physical assessment and whether it required her lifting her shirt.

The magistrate adjourned the matter to October.

Wong, who is on bail, is not allowed to perform any physical treatments on female clients in person as part of his bail conditions.

The trial continues.