A major controversy has started in Australia after a Vietnamese medical student was spared conviction after he secretly filmed women in toilets. 23-year-old Bao Phuc Cao walked from Melbourne Magistrate Court Friday scot free as he told the police that he was in the female toilets because he was “unsure of his gender”. Cao is a repeat offender and escaped conviction twice over the same string of offences last year. His lawyers again asked for no conviction as the offense was included in conduct for which he had previously been sentenced.
Magistrate Michelle Mykytowycz took into account Cao’s guilty plea, youth and lack of family in Australia, the Australian Associated Press reported. But the decision triggered a major social media fury, especially after Elon Musk commented on the row.
“He filmed 150 Australian women in toilets. Zero conviction. Judge didn’t want to deport him,” wrote political commentator and activist Drew Pavlou. “Deport the judge,” Musk replied.
As Cao walked out of the court, reporters asked him if he was still unsure of his gender. He was also asked whethetr he was still to pursue his medical degree. Cao covered his face and refused to answer questions.
The international medical student was first arrested in 2024 for secretly taking photographs of women inside the shower. A woman found his mobile phone under the shower cubicle. Police found hundreds of photos and videos of up to 150 other women. Cao was charged and pleaded guilty but was spared a conviction. This happened again and again, and now he’s spared for the third time. Melbourne University said last year privacy rules prevented them from revealing if Cao is still a student, but that they were “committed to eliminating and preventing sexual misconduct from our community and have robust systems and supports in place for our students and staff”.
