A man in Taichung, Taiwan, has been sentenced to six months in prison, with a two-year suspended sentence, after sexually assaulting a fellow guest at a hostel while the victim was asleep.
According to the court judgment, the accused, identified as “Xiong” (pseudonym), checked into a youth hostel in Taichung late one night in March 2025. He noticed another male guest, “Ali” (pseudonym), sleeping in a shared room.
While the victim was asleep, Xiong allegedly acted without consent by touching Ali’s inner thigh and genitals. Ali later woke up to the assault, immediately chased after the suspect when he fled the room, and reported the incident to the police.
The case was subsequently brought before the Taichung District Court.
In delivering its verdict, the court found Xiong guilty of committing indecent assault by exploiting the opportunity while the victim was asleep. The judge said the act showed a serious disregard for another person’s bodily autonomy and sexual rights, and caused physical and psychological harm to the victim.
Despite the severity of the offence, the court took mitigating factors into consideration and imposed a six-month prison sentence, suspended for two years. The ruling may still be appealed.
