The Hualien High Court in Taiwan recently handed down a verdict in a highly publicized sexual assault case. The defendant, a photographer surnamed Wang, was accused of soliciting a university student model for a photo shoot via social media in April 2022. During the photoshoot, he took advantage of the woman's sleep after taking sleeping pills and then administered a liquid containing the third-category drug FM2, before sexually assaulting her. The court ultimately sentenced Wang to eight years and ten months in prison for "burglary and forced sexual intercourse by drug," a sentence subject to appeal.
According to the verdict, Wang and the victim (alias Linlin) contacted each other via Instagram and arranged to travel to Hualien for a three-day, two-night filming trip, staying in adjacent rooms at a local B&B. On the night of the incident, around 3:00 a.m., Wang entered Linlin's room. After she took sleeping pills and fell asleep, he fed her mineral water laced with FM2 powder from a bottle cap and then performed involuntary sexual acts on her.
In her confession, Linlin stated that she was paralyzed and unconscious. She felt a bottle cap touch her lips, a sweet liquid was poured into her mouth, and she sensed someone stripping and assaulting her. Upon waking, she immediately called the police. Upon arrival, police found bottled water containing FM2 in the room. FM2 metabolites were detected in Linlin's system, and Wang's DNA was found on her mouth and genitals.
Wang denied premeditated drugging in court, arguing that he entered the room and engaged in sexual activity on impulse, but did not drug the victim. Regarding the connecting sliding door between the rooms, he argued that it did not constitute trespass. However, the judge found that Wang's actions were premeditated, and that FM2, a Schedule III drug, was used in a manner that exceeded legal limits.
The court pointed out that Wang not only failed to admit his crime but also failed to express remorse. Taking into account that the victim had contracted a sexually transmitted disease as a result of this case and that Wang had been ordered to pay NT$400,000 in civil compensation, he was sentenced to eight years and ten months in prison.
When the case was initially heard in the local court, Wang was sentenced for "forcible sexual intercourse by drug." However, the second-instance court determined that he also committed "trespassing," thus changing the sentence to a more severe one. Under Taiwanese law, the case can still be appealed to the Supreme Court.
FM2, scientifically known as flunitrazepam, is a sedative and hypnotic medication. It is classified as a Schedule III drug in Taiwan, and its illegal use can be criminally punishable. It is abused in sexual assault cases, often causing memory loss or inability to resist after taking it, leading to its nickname, "date rape drug."
