Taiwanese Engineer Sentenced to 3 Months for Cleanroom Buttocks Harassment

An engineer at a technology company in Taoyuan, Taiwan, has been sentenced to three months in prison for sexually harassing a female technician. The incidents occurred in May 2024 within a cleanroom environment.

The engineer, identified by the surname Guo, allegedly touched the technician's buttocks twice. The first instance went unnoticed by surveillance, but the second, which occurred around 6:45 PM, was captured on camera. The technician reported feeling her buttocks touched while operating machinery and later confirmed the perpetrator was Guo after the second incident.

Guo denied the allegations, claiming he was merely retrieving parts and that any contact was incidental due to the narrowness of the aisle. He also stated the aisle was a commonly used shortcut. However, the court reviewed surveillance footage and the factory's floor plan, concluding that Guo had alternative, wider paths available and could have avoided contact.

The court found Guo's actions intentional, noting he deliberately used his hand to touch the technician's buttocks while passing behind her in the confined space. The technician testified consistently and had no prior disputes with Guo, nor did she seek civil damages, suggesting no motive for false accusation. The court ruled that Guo's actions constituted sexual harassment.

Following an appeal, the Taiwan High Court upheld the original sentence of three months imprisonment, which can be commuted to a fine of 90,000 New Taiwan Dollars. The court cited Guo's denial of guilt after the fact and his disrespect for the victim's bodily autonomy as factors in its decision.