Media personality Clara Chou (周玉蔻) today was given three more months in prison for slander after accusing Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) Legislator Huang Kuo-chang (黃國昌) of sexually assaulting a student.
She made the comment last year in response to TPP Chairman Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) saying during a talk show that the quickest way to carry out judicial reform would be to make Huang minister of justice.
On June 13 last year, Chou on Facebook asked whether the female student “on whom Huang forced himself (or so I’m told)” would hold a news conference accusing him of assault.
Photo: Taipei Times
Huang in a response on his own Facebook said it was “nasty to maliciously fabricate such rumors,” and vowed to press charges.
He sued Chou for aggravated slander for NT$1 million (US$30,638).
In the civil portion of the case, the Taipei District Court at the end of April ordered Chou to pay Huang NT$300,000 in compensation and delete the original post, which Chou has done.
The criminal portion of the judgement was issued today, with the court sentencing Chou to three months in prison for aggravated slander, commutable to a fine.
The ruling can be appealed.
The ruling adds to the 18 months already handed Chou last month for accusing beauty queen Chang Shu-chuang (張淑娟) of having a romantic relationship with John Chiang (蔣孝嚴), one of the sons of former president Chiang Ching-kuo (蔣經國) and the father of Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安).
Additional reporting by CNA
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