Zhifan Song: Chatswood tutor guilty of drugging, sexually assaulting teenage student

A highly-educated tutor who “stood over” his teenage student before drugging her and sexually assaulting her as she lay unconscious has appeared in court.

A highly-educated tutor plied his teenage student with rohypnol – commonly known as a “date rape drug” – before sexually assaulting her as she lay unconscious, a court has heard.

Zhifan Song, 37, who operated a Chatswood tutoring business, has pleaded guilty to drugging his client and having sexual intercourse without consent in October 2018.

The sickening details behind the attack were revealed in Sydney District Court on Friday, with the level of planning described by crown prosecutor Kate Nightingale as “very important”.

Zhifan Song pictured outside Hornsby Local Court in 2019. Picture: John Grainger

Ms Nightingale said, in the lead up to the sexual assault, Song cancelled other clients and created a situation where the victim would be alone with him for multiple hours.

The court heard ten minutes before he joined the victim for the scheduled appointment, he researched the effectiveness of the “date rape drug”.

Ms Nightingale said Song hid the drug inside empty capsules “in quite a complex manner” and “stood over’’ the victim, indicating she wouldn’t receive future lessons if she did refused to take the capsules.

The court heard after drugging the victim with 6mg of rohypnol, Song undressed and sexually assaulted the unconscious teenager.

Song was diagnosed with schizophrenia at a young age but managed to complete a Bachelor’s degree, Masters and a PHD, live independently and operate a business, the court heard.

The 37-year-old man’s barrister Angela Cook argued that Song’s schizophrenia, which involved auditory hallucinations, should be factored into his sentencing as it would make prison more onerous.

Dr Richard Furst, a defence expert witness, said Song had a “less severe (form of the illness) than people who require hospitalisation … (and) is towards the lower end of the spectrum”.

Ms Nightingale said Song had previously been highly functioning in the community, even when he was not being medicated for schizophrenia.

The matter will return before Judge Phillip Mahony for sentencing next month.