The Kaohsiung District Court has handed down a heavy sentence of four years and six months to a stage sound engineer, delivering justice that came late but unambiguously for the victim.

• In May 2023, a sound engineer surnamed Chen travelled to Kaohsiung on business together with a woman working in the same industry at a different company. After drinking at a bar in Yancheng District, the woman passed out drunk and was taken back to her hotel.

• Chen, who stayed behind to look after her, took advantage of her inability to resist and sexually assaulted her. The woman woke at dawn feeling unwell and bought emergency contraception that same day. She later developed symptoms of post-traumatic stress, and only disclosed what had happened after her supervisor and her partner expressed concern.

• Chen denied the offence, claiming he had merely helped her get dressed. But upon inspection, the judge found a large tattoo of bird and bat wings extending across his back and shoulders. He wore sleeved tops both ordinarily and on the night in question, making it impossible for the victim — who had passed out drunk — to have known such details otherwise.

• A polygraph report submitted by prosecutors was ruled inadmissible because the prosecutorial investigation officer who administered it had not been sworn in as required by law. The judge instead based the conviction on corroborating evidence including the victim's identification of the tattoo, her purchase of emergency contraception, and the marked change in her personality.

• Chen denied the charge throughout and showed no remorse. The court imposed an enhanced sentence under the offence of sexual intercourse by taking advantage of a person's vulnerable state.

Outlook: The case may still be appealed, and the second-instance court will examine whether corroborating evidence such as the tattoo is sufficient to uphold the original verdict.