Dashcam footage reveals affair; friend ordered to pay damages

A woman in Taiwan has been awarded damages after discovering her husband's infidelity with her childhood friend of two decades, thanks to a car's dashcam. The discovery led to a legal battle for emotional distress.

The plaintiff, identified by the surname Wang, was married and living in Pingtung County. She had known the defendant, surnamed Wu, since elementary school. After Wang's marriage in 2011, the two families often socialized. However, Wang alleged that while she was frequently away from home, Wu engaged in sexual encounters with her husband in their car on industrial roads and met him at Wu's restaurant between early July and late August of the previous year.

Wang sought NT$1 million (approximately $30,000 USD) in compensation for mental anguish. Wu, while admitting to intimate behavior, claimed she was passive in the relationship and that Wang's husband had pursued her. She also argued that Wang had already forgiven her, citing Line message exchanges, and therefore should not be entitled to damages.

However, the courts found evidence of infidelity. Dashcam recordings included conversations such as "Then where should I touch?" and "I'm afraid you'll get more and more unbearable," as well as "I'm going over, you're in trouble," and "Then I'll shake harder." The courts determined that Wu had indeed engaged in inappropriate behavior. Although Wang had mentioned forgiveness, the court ruled that this did not preclude her from pursuing civil liability. Consequently, Wu was ordered to pay NT$500,000 (approximately $15,000 USD) in damages, a decision that was upheld on appeal.