Taiwanese Man Jailed for Repeatedly Grasping Woman's Buttocks from Motorcycle

A man in Taiwan has been sentenced to three months in prison for committing sexual harassment by twice touching a woman's buttocks while riding a motorcycle.

The incident occurred when the man, identified by the surname Lin, rode past a woman walking on the roadside. He reached out and touched her hip and thigh area. Approximately 200 meters later, he circled back and touched her buttocks again. The victim reported the assault to the police, leading to Lin's apprehension.

Lin denied the charges, claiming he mistook the woman for a colleague and was merely greeting her by patting her back. However, surveillance footage from a nearby building clearly showed Lin's motorcycle passing the woman and his hand reaching out to touch her, directly contradicting his testimony.

The court found Lin's actions constituted sexual harassment, emphasizing that he violated the victim's bodily autonomy during a moment when she could not resist. Despite Lin eventually admitting guilt during the trial and expressing a willingness to settle, the victim did not consent to a reconciliation. Consequently, the court imposed the three-month sentence for sexual harassment under Taiwan's Sexual Harassment Prevention Act.