The Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office yesterday said it has charged a gynecologist at National Taiwan University Hospital (NTUH) for allegedly sexually assaulting three women, after the Control Yuan conducted its own probe of the case last year.
The doctor, surnamed Cheng (鄭), is a specialist at the NTUH Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, the indictment said.
Cheng was indicted on two counts of aggravated attempt to commit sexual assault and one count of aggravated obscenity against a victim’s will under the Criminal Code after examining testimony and evidence presented by the three victims, the office said.
Photo: Liao Chen-huei, Taipei Times
After the alleged incidents in 2020, 2021 and 2022, the women filed complaints requesting that the school and hospital suspend Cheng from teaching and medical practice, and pursue other punishment.
After neither National Taiwan University nor NTUH conducted an internal probe, the women went to Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Fan Yun (范雲), who convened a news conference in March last year to publicize the allegations.
The publicity led to a Control Yuan probe into the case.
Fan and the women alleged that no action was taken, as Cheng is a leading figure in obstetrics and gynecology.
The three women worked in sales for pharmaceutical firms and had business interactions with Cheng, they said.
They alleged that he invited them for dinner, and spiked their drinks with a date rape drug.
One woman said she woke up in a medical lab at NTUH with some of her clothing removed.
Another victim said she met with Cheng for dinner at a beer hall to try to make a sale, then fell asleep after drinking wine brought by Cheng and later woke up inside a motel room naked.
The other woman told investigators that Cheng took her to dinner to continue talking business, during which they consumed alcohol.
She said the doctor groped her and committed acts of obscenity while at the restaurant.
When investigating judicial complaints, Taipei prosecutors coordinated police units to search Cheng’s residence and his office in April, seizing computers and telecommunication records.
After questioning, Cheng was released on bail of NT$400,000.
There was at least one other victim, who said she was groped and her clothing was removed by Cheng in 2021, but prosecutors rejected her complaint for lack of evidence.
All the women said they fell asleep after drinking beverages.
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