Taipei: Former Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) official Lee Chien-yu was sentenced Thursday to five years and two months in prison for the sexual assault of four women between 2022 and 2023. Lee, previously the head of the EPA Inspectorate’s Inspection Team, faced a Taichung District Court ruling that found him guilty of one count of rape, five counts of forced indecency, and two counts of power-based indecency, which he plans to appeal.

According to Focus Taiwan, Lee was tried on charges including one count of rape, six counts of forcible indecency, and three counts of abuse of authority to commit indecency against four female subordinates at the EPA. Throughout the trial, Lee contested some of the charges, claiming memory loss due to intoxication during the incidents. However, the court dismissed his defense, noting discrepancies between his statements and the victims’ testimonies.

The court highlighted that Lee had settled with the four victims, agreeing to pay damages. The ruling emphasized that Lee exploited his position of authority, subjecting his subordinates to sexual abuse during work and business trips, leading to enduring psychological harm. Consequently, the court sentenced Lee to five years and two months in prison.