Vancouver police say charges against a B.C. physician accused of sexually assaulting two teenage girls were delayed because the suspect travelled to China during the investigation.
Investigators with the Vancouver Police Department (VPD) announced charges against Herman Hau Man Lee, 65, on Feb. 3, saying the doctor was arrested in November 2025 and has been released on bail with conditions.
Lee is accused of sexually assaulting two teen girls in separate incidents spanning from 2015 to 2022. Police believe there may be more victims and have urged them to come forward.
The investigation began in March 2023 after police learned that a 17-year-old was alleged to have been assaulted by the doctor over a number of years at a clinic in Chinatown. The incidents are said to have occurred between May 2018 and December 2022.
During the investigation, police say they identified a second victim, a 14-year-old girl, who was allegedly sexually assaulted by the physician at a Burnaby clinic in December 2015.
Supt. Dale Weidman said that investigators “had to wait” for Lee’s return from China to wrap up the investigation and place charges.
“Part of it was, this Dr. Lee left the country for a period of time, so some of that time is built into his absence,” he said during a press conference.
B.C. Prosecution Service laid charges against Lee on Nov. 28, 2025. He is facing two charges of sexual assault, two counts of sexual interference, and one charge of sexual exploitation.
Lee, who is a Vancouver resident, has been released on bail and is still a practising physician in the province. One of the conditions of his release is that he cannot treat patients under the age of 16 without another adult present.
A spokesperson with the College of Physicians and Surgeons of B.C. (CPSBC) told The Epoch Times in an email they were aware of the charges but could not comment on the case while it is before the courts.
The spokesperson said that if a member of the college is charged with an offence they are required to report it and the CPSBC’s Inquiry Committee would consider “whether it is in the public interest” to take action, which can include imposing limits or conditions on the professional, suspend their licence, or seek an undertaking for conditions that mirror bail conditions.
Police said they believe there may be other victims who have not yet come forward and are encouraging them to contact Vancouver police.
“It is always a personal decision for anyone to come forward and report a sexual assault. We understand, for some, that decision may take time,” Weidman said.
He added that anyone who comes forward would be “met with care and compassion,” and would be offered “trauma-informed support,” throughout the investigative process.
The Canadian Press contributed to this article.
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