Renowned director and National Award for Arts winner Chang Tso-chi (張作驥) was on Friday sentenced by the Taipei District Court to three years and 10 months in prison on sexual assault charges. The case can still be appealed.
Chang was accused of sexually assaulting a female playwright in May last year at a party at his studio in Taipei celebrating the completion of his new film. The ruling said that after sending off his guests, he raped the drunk and unconscious woman.
The ruling said that Chang initially denied assaulting the playwright, but was forced to admit to his deed after DNA evidence tied him to the crime.
Chang’s attorney attempted to blame the woman, telling the judge that she “dressed invitingly” and chatted amicably with the director, adding that she did not call for help while the two had sex; nor did she have any immediate reaction to the incident.
However, Lu Shih-yuan (呂蒔媛), Chang’s wife, testified that the victim appeared drunk at the party. Lu, who was sleeping upstairs at the time, said the victim later that night knocked on her door and asked her: “Are you his wife? Why can’t you control your man?”
The wife added that when she went downstairs and asked her husband to confront the playwritght, he “stood in silence while the woman hit him repeatedly.”
In response to the verdict, the victim wept, saying: “Thanks to the judge for keeping my reputation intact.”
However, adding that she was not satisfied by Chang’s short prison sentence, the victim said she would appeal. She said she still has nightmares about the incident.
Meanwhile, Chang said through his attorney that he was misrepresented by the verdict, claiming that “I requested the court to investigate many other items of evidence, but was rejected.”
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