The Taipei District Court yesterday sentenced Former National Taiwan University Hospital obstetrician and gynecologist Cheng Wen-fang (鄭文芳) to six years and nine months in prison for forcible indecency and attempted aggravated rape by administering drugs.
From 2020 to 2021, Cheng drugged and assaulted three female sales representatives from the financial and insurance sectors, prosecutors said.
Cheng invited the women to dinner, where he spiked their drinks, then took them to a hotel or laboratories at National Taiwan University to sexually assault or molest them, prosecutors said.
Photo: Taipei Times file photo
The ruling can be appealed.
Allegations first arose in early 2023, when a pharmaceutical sales representative accused Cheng of drugging and sexually assaulting her, the indictment said.
However, prosecutors determined from surveillance footage at a motel that the woman did not appear to be drugged and dropped the case.
Once reports of the alleged assault appeared in local media, three additional sales representatives came forward, also accusing Cheng of drugging and assaulting them, and petitioned Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Fan Yun (范雲) to publicize the case.
The women were invited for drinks at izakayas, where they became incapacitated, the indictment said.
One woman managed to escape after regaining consciousness while being assaulted, and another was picked up from the restaurant by a friend after she became disoriented, it said.
The Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office summoned Cheng for questioning in April 2024 and released him on bail of NT$400,000.
He was then indicted in November 2024, though he absconded to Canada the following month.
An arrest warrant was issued after he failed to appear in court in March last year.
He was arrested in Canada in October and returned to Taiwan, where he has remained in custody since Oct. 21.
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