Cooky Wong: Physiotherapist accused of indecent assault wins working with children clearance

An eastern suburbs physio will be able to work with kids, despite a tribunal saying a string of groping claims against him posed a “serious red flag”.

An eastern suburbs physiotherapist has been given the green light to work with kids, despite a tribunal saying a string of groping claims against him that posed a “serious red flag”.

Kilsyth physiotherapist Cooky Wong, 57, was last year refused a working with children clearance because of a string of indecent assault allegations stemming from claims he repeatedly groped middle-aged and elderly patients’ breasts.

Last week, Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal deputy president Heather Lambrick upheld Mr Wong’s challenge to the refusal, despite saying: “The repeated allegation made by the women that they were touched by Mr Wong directly on the breast is … of grave concern”.

Nine women alleged Mr Wong inappropriately touched their breasts during physiotherapy sessions from 2003 to 2010, and police ultimately charged him with 16 counts of indecent assault.

Physiotherapist Cooky Wong was accused of indecently assaulting nine women, but the charges were withdrawn or dismissed before trial (file photo).

The Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal ordered Cooky Wong be granted a working with children certificate.

Mr Wong was committed to trial on six charges related to allegations made by three of the women, but prosecutors in late 2011 withdrew the charges before the case went to trial.

Mr Wong has denied the allegations, and said he apologised to one of the women because she was upset, not because he had done anything wrong.

At a hearing last month, he put the allegations down to a series of misunderstandings, “possible racism”, gossip or concoction.

Health regulators found Wong guilty of unsatisfactory professional conduct in relation to one of the women, but did not find he had indecently touched her.

Ms Lambrick said: “I consider the nature and gravity of the allegations and their relevance to child-related work to be a serious red flag sounding a word of warning against the granting of the application”, but said years had passed since the allegations were made, that other physiotherapists had given him glowing character references, and that prosecutors do not drop such serious charges lightly.

Ms Lambrick said Mr Wong had since shown he understood it was important to “be vigilant about consent and about other people’s personal boundaries” and that he posed no risk to children.

She said a reasonable person would let their children have direct contact with Mr Wong, and that it was in the public interest to let him work with children at his church, which he said he found “a joy”.