Source: Nono on Facebook
Taiwanese comedian and host Nono was found guilty on Tuesday (13 May) of one count of attempted rape and sentenced to two years and six months in prison by the Taiwan Shilin District Court.
The 54-year-old, whose real name is Chen Hsuan-yu, had been indicted on a total of seven charges, including three for rape, two for attempted rape, and two for forcible molestation.
He was acquitted of the remaining six charges.
Source: FTV News
Chen’s case emerged during Taiwan’s wave of #MeToo disclosures in 2023, when several high-profile men in the entertainment industry were accused of sexual misconduct.
Chen was accused of sexual misconduct by at least 20 women, but the court ultimately moved forward with charges involving six confirmed victims.
The only conviction was for an attempted rape that occurred in February 2011, following the filming of a variety show.
Source: 陳宣裕 on Facebook
During the shoot, Chen met one of the victims and obtained her phone number.
Later that evening, he called her and offered to drive her home, claiming it was late and that his manager would be joining them.
She eventually agreed, trusting him as a senior figure in the entertainment industry.
However, instead of taking her home, Chen drove her to a secluded riverside car park in Taipei’s Datong District, under the pretext of buying supper.
There, he ordered her out of the car, forcibly embraced her, and dragged her into the backseat.
He proceeded to kiss and grope her, attempted to undress both of them, and tried to initiate intercourse.
The victim resisted, kicking and falling to the floor, where she curled up and begged him to stop. Only then did Chen relent.
According to the court, the victim did not report the assault at the time due to fear of retaliation, career damage, and public scrutiny.
She finally came forward in June 2023, encouraged by other women speaking out during the #MeToo movement.
Source: Reuters
Her testimony was supported by statements from friends and family about the emotional toll the incident had taken on her.
The court deemed her account credible and noted that Chen had shown no remorse, denied knowing her, and made no attempt to apologise. This led to his conviction and sentencing.
However, the court dismissed the other six charges, which involved five other women.
It ruled that the allegations lacked sufficient corroboration and cited inconsistencies in some of the victims’ testimonies, as well as discrepancies with objective facts.
Taiwanese influencer Anissa, who was among the first to publicly accuse Chen and claimed to be one of his victims, said in a Facebook post on 13 May that she and the other survivors found the sentence far too lenient.
Source: 小紅老師 Anissa on Facebook
“Each woman stepped forward to defend her rights, reliving her trauma over and over — all in the hope that no one else would have to suffer the same harm,” she wrote.
Reacting to the fact that only one charge led to conviction and that the sentence was less than three years, she added:
This is simply too outrageous to accept.
Ms Anissa said the group would consult with lawyers and ask the prosecution to appeal the not-guilty rulings once they receive the full written judgment.
“This reflects our determination to fight to the very end,” she stated.
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Featured image adapted from Nono on Facebook.