A Taiwanese man has been sentenced to 14 months in prison, suspended for four years, after an appeals court overturned his acquittal over the sexual abuse of his underage female cousin on four occasions.
The man, identified by the pseudonym Dacheng, allegedly assaulted his cousin, Xiaoyu, while she was staying at her uncle’s home in Dali District, Taichung, during public holidays in 2022. Despite her repeated objections, he continued to sexually abuse her, even while her mother and younger brother were sleeping in the same room.
According to court documents, the most disturbing incident occurred in the early hours of National Day. Dacheng, who had been sleeping on the floor, allegedly reached into Xiaoyu’s underwear twice while she was sleeping beside her mother and brother. He stopped only after she forcefully pushed his hand away.
Xiaoyu initially kept the incidents to herself because she feared damaging relationships between her mother and their relatives. However, she sought help from a close friend through messages, writing: “Baby, I want to go home”, “He held me down by force” and “I’m really scared”.
She later developed sleep problems and showed signs of self-harm. The case eventually came to light after a school counsellor became concerned about her well-being.
The Taichung District Court acquitted Dacheng at the first trial, citing the pair’s continued normal messaging after the alleged incidents and a lack of corroborating evidence. Prosecutors appealed the decision.
During the appeal, the Taiwan High Court Taichung Branch stressed that victims of sexual abuse within families may display trauma-related attachment, emotional numbness or a fear of damaging family relationships. Such behaviour should not automatically be interpreted as evidence that their allegations are fabricated, the court said.
The court also examined audio recordings of conversations involving Dacheng, his father and Xiaoyu. In the recordings, Dacheng reportedly admitted to touching her genitals and breasts, and acknowledged inappropriate conduct in August, September and October.
The appeals court concluded that Dacheng had abused his position as an adult relative by taking advantage of opportunities when Xiaoyu was alone or when other family members were asleep. It overturned the original acquittal and convicted him of four counts of indecent assault against a minor.
The court sentenced him to eight months’ imprisonment for each offence, with a combined sentence of one year and two months. However, the sentence was suspended for four years after he reached a settlement with Xiaoyu during the appeal and paid her NT$250,000 in compensation. Xiaoyu also agreed to give him an opportunity to reform.
During the suspension period, Dacheng must remain under probation supervision, attend eight sessions of legal education and refrain from committing domestic violence against Xiaoyu. The ruling remains subject to further appeal.
