An air force staff sergeant, surnamed Chung (鍾), was charged with aggravated sexual assault over allegations he raped a soldier under his command at the Joint Operations Training Base in Pingtung County’s Checheng Township (車城).
According to the indictment, Chung forcibly performed oral sex on a male soldier, identified as A-de (阿德), who was sleeping in his barracks with 40 other soldiers.
A soldier on the adjacent bunk, identified as Private First Class Lee (李), said that A-de’s face appeared “pale from terror,” and that he was pointing at his sheets to indicate the presence of another person underneath them, the indictment read.
According to the indictment, Lee shouted: “Is that Squad Leader Chung?” upon which Chung allegedly stopped performing oral sex on A-de.
Chung allegedly told Lee that he was conducting a “surprise inspection” and ordered Lee to go back to sleep before returning to his own quarters.
The following morning, A-de reported the alleged assault to headquarters and, although Chung denied the allegations during questioning, the unit political officer said that Chung admitted to the sexual assault, the indictment said.
Chung allegedly told the political officer that he was drunk and that he had apologized to the victim by giving him bottles of Essence of Chicken.
Two other soldiers in the barracks said that they were awakened by noises and that they saw Chung getting off Lee’s bunk.
The prosecutors asked the court to hand down a heavy punishment for Chung, because he traumatized his victim, violated the duties of his rank and lied to them to conceal his crimes.
If convicted of aggravated sexual assault, Chung is to receive a minimum prison sentence of seven years.
The Ministry of National Defense said a major reprimand had been added to Chung’s record, and that Chung’s request to be discharged from the military has been approved.
Chung served in the military for 19 years, one year short of receiving a life-time pension, the ministry said.
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