A labour broker in Kaohsiung has been convicted of forcible indecent assault, but the outcome is bad news for migrant workers: the perpetrator received only six months, which can be converted into a fine, along with a two-year suspended sentence.

• The broker used the window of time while transporting a foreign caregiver to her new employer's home to take her to his residence in Fengshan, where he forced her to look at nude photographs and pornographic videos and pressed NT$1,000 on her in exchange for sex.
• After the caregiver refused, he groped her and forcibly wrapped his arms around her from behind, harassing her for as long as an hour; she finally got away only by video-calling her husband and former employer for help.
• During the investigation the broker claimed that "looking at nude photos was to confirm her nationality" and that "the money was a cleaning fee," accounts prosecutors rejected before indicting him.
• His attitude shifted once proceedings began: he pleaded guilty in court and paid to settle with the victim, prompting the judge to hand down a lighter sentence.

Outlook: Brokers hold power over migrant workers' residency and continued employment, and cases like this typically come to light only when victims seek help on their own — the structural risk will not change in the near term.