Public prosecutors on Thursday indicted a master sergeant at a military base in Taipei for allegedly jabbing a soldier’s posterior with a screwdriver to humiliate the man, who had divulged to another soldier that he is homosexual.
The Taipei Shilin District Prosecutors’ Office charged the non-commissioned officer, surnamed Hsiu (修), with violations of the Sexual Harassment Prevention Act (性騷擾防治法), citing eyewitness testimony and evidence gathered during an investigation.
The man, identified by the nickname “A-ruei” (阿銳) to protect his identity, filed a complaint against Hsiu after the incident in March.
A-ruei was on a ladder checking wiring for telecommunications equipment inside a military base in Taipei when Hsiu reportedly grabbed a screwdriver and jabbed it upward at A-ruei, apparently aiming for his posterior.
Hsiu, addressing the other soldiers present at the time, said: “This can get him to orgasm. His legs will get weak, and he cannot endure it for long.”
According to the investigation, Hsiu had learned from other soldiers in the unit that A-ruei had come out of the closet in February, when he informed a fellow conscript of his sexual orientation.
The information spread around the barracks, eventually passing through the grapevine to the unit’s commanders, after which Hsiu picked an opportunity to publicly humiliate A-ruei, investigators said.
A-ruei said he felt bullied and was embarrassed in front of other soldiers, and was afraid whenever Hsiu approached him, because the master sergeant was senior in rank, they said.
A-ruei was later transferred to another unit to continue his compulsory military service, they added.
His statements were corroborated by other soldiers who witnessed the incident and supported his complaint.
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