Taipei prosecutors yesterday charged movie director Doze Niu (鈕承澤) with sexual assault, after tests matched Niu’s DNA with samples taken from a staffer’s chest.
Niu, 52, has been accused of sexually assaulting a staffer, who was working on the set of his new film Horse Racing (跑馬).
The staffer said that she told her roommate what had happened after the incident, and they went to a hospital to have her injuries examined and subsequently filed a complaint with the police.
Photo: Peter Lo, Taipei Times
The Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office subpoenaed Niu for questioning, and he was released on Dec. 10 last year on NT$1.5 million (US$48,788) bail.
At first Niu claimed he was drunk and could not remember the details, then later publicly announced that they had been in a relationship.
“Maybe I am just a stupid man... We had a gathering of friends that night and she stayed after the others left, so maybe there was misinterpretation of the situation,” Niu told reporters on Dec. 10.
Prosecutors said the injury report corroborated the staffer’s description of how Niu attacked her and forced himself upon her.
According to the indictment, the staffer went with company executives to Niu’s residence, and when the executives departed, had no intention of staying further.
“Niu allegedly … constrained the woman on the sofa, and then forcibly removed her clothing and underwear,” it said.
“Then he allegedly used his fingers ... to sexually assault her. However, the woman put up a fight and after the alleged assault she said she was shaken up and began sobbing on the sofa,” the indictment read.
The medical report showed that the woman had bruises and chafed skin on her hands and legs, matching her description of the alleged assault.
She also had fresh lacerations on her genitalia, so prosecutors said there was sufficient evidence to prove that Niu had acted against her will.
Women’s rights groups have denounced Niu for making excuses to justify his actions, saying that he abused his position a powerful figure with authority over female staffers.
FUKUOKA SITUATION: Japanese media reported that the pathogen is expected to be identified by the summer, while the CDC downplayed the idea that it was hMPV A “mysterious cold-like illness” reported in Japan’s Fukuoka Prefecture does not seem to be a new disease, but Japanese authorities have been asked about the situation, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said yesterday. The Fukuoka Prefectural Medical Association on Wednesday told a news conference that a “mystery cold” that has become a hot topic on social media is “highly likely to be caused by some kind of viral infection,” Japan’s KBC News reported. “Many people are experiencing symptoms starting with a sore throat, followed by a runny nose, phlegm and a severe cough,” KBC News reported, citing association officials. Health authorities are
Nvidia Corp CEO Jensen Huang (黃仁勳) arrived in Taiwan yesterday ahead of upcoming AI and technology events, saying he plans to meet with clients and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co Chairman C.C. Wei (魏哲家) during his visit. After landing at Taipei Songshan Airport, Huang posed for photos with fans and handed out Yakult drinks to reporters and supporters waiting at the scene, saying he has “a lot to do” during the trip. Asked about reports that Nvidia’s planned headquarters site in Taipei’s Beitou Shilin Technology Park could break ground on May 27, Huang said that if the company holds an event, he would
Carrefour Taiwan is to begin using a new name from the start of July, but it cannot divulge the name until then, the chairman of the supermarket chain's parent company said today. President Chain Store Co chairman Lo Chih-hsien (羅智先) was asked by reporters after a shareholders' meeting to confirm whether the company has settled on a new name for the supermarket brand. In March, the government-registered name of two Carrefour Taiwan branches was quietly changed to "Le Chia Kang" (樂家康) in Chinese, raising speculation that has been selected as the name. Lo said that because of local regulations and contractual obligations, the
The Philippines would likely be involved in any conflict over Taiwan due to its proximity to the democracy claimed by China, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr said, reiterating a stance that risks angering Beijing. “In the Philippines, we do not have a choice because Taiwan is so close to the Philippines and we have almost 200,000 Filipino nationals living and working in Taiwan,” Marcos said in an interview with Japanese media in Manila on Monday. The Philippine leader’s comments come ahead of a state visit to Japan next week, where he is to meet with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi to discuss security
RSS