TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwanese actor Chris Wang (王宥勝) on Wednesday (Nov. 8) was indicted by the Taipei District Prosecutor's Office for alleged forceable indecent assault (強制猥褻罪) against a female colleague.
As #MeToo cases continue to roil Taiwan's entertainment industry, Wang has been accused of sexual harassment by female colleagues. After a member of the public reported an incident, an investigation by the Taipei District Prosecutor's Office determined that Wang had forcibly kissed and touched a woman while sitting on her lap, per CNA.
The case started when a female netizen revealed on Facebook in June that a certain woman had told her that after a work gathering, she shared a ride with Wang. Upon arriving at the woman's home, Wang allegedly entered under the pretense of using the bathroom and suddenly straddled her legs, forcibly kissed her, unfastened her bra, and only stopped because she continued to resist his advances.
Another female netizen also said on Facebook that during a company dinner where she was the designated driver, she drove Wang and the manager home. She alleged that when it was only herself and Wang left in the car, he suddenly lunged toward her and groped her chest.
When the two accounts were released in May, Wang responded by issuing a statement that read: "I am sorry for the harm and impact caused by my past actions. I am very, very sorry. I will not run away from the mistakes I have made. I am truly, truly sorry."
Following an investigation by the Taipei District Prosecutor's Office, it was found that there were three women related to this case. After being summoned for questioning, none of them filed a criminal complaint.
However, prosecutors determined that Wang had committed forceable indecent assault against one of the women. It is categorized as a non-reportable offense, so prosecutors charged Wang under Article 224 of the criminal code (刑法), which carries a sentence between six months and five years in prison.
As for Wang's actions towards the other two women, they fell within the scope of the Sexual Harassment Prevention Act (性騷擾防治法). However, these two women did not file complaints, so those cases have been dismissed.
