Media personality Lucifer Chu receives 11 months for indecent assault

Taipei, Nov. 14 (CNA) The Taiwan High Court on Thursday handed an 11-month prison sentence to media personality Lucifer Chu (朱學恆), the Chinese translator of "The Lord of the Rings," for indecent assault, a three-month reduction on the sentence handed down by the district court.

The ruling followed Chu's failure to reach a settlement with Chung Pei-chun (鍾沛君), a Taipei City councilor from the Kuomintang, who accused Chu of forcibly kissing her twice at a Taipei restaurant in August 2022.

The court reduced the sentence, noting that Chu's guilty plea suggested a change in attitude.

However, the court refused to grant probation, citing several factors, including the fact that Chu only pleaded guilty at the High Court.

According to the High Court collegiate panel, as well as the harm Chu caused Chung by assaulting her, his comments about her during a TV program while the district court trial was taking place demonstrated a lack of genuine remorse.

The panel said this made it difficult to conclude that he had adequately acknowledged the impact of his actions.

"I sincerely accept the result of the ruling and will deeply repent and reflect on myself," Chu, who did not attend the court session Thursday, wrote on Facebook shortly after the sentence was announced, adding that he would not appeal the case.

Following Thursday's ruling, Chung issued a statement expressing her gratitude for the efforts of the judges and the support she had received throughout the process.

She condemned Chu's actions over the past year, accusing him of staging another performance after his previous attempts failed.

"My life is not your script. You asked me to cater to your settlement drama once you realized you couldn't beat me through the judicial system or public opinion," she said.

A civil lawsuit regarding the case is still ongoing, and Chung said she will donate any compensation money if she wins.

Chu, 49, became widely known to the Taiwanese public in the early 2000s for his Chinese translation of J. R. R. Tolkien's epic fantasy trilogy "The Lord of the Rings."

After that success, he remained active on the internet, mainly as a key opinion leader on a range of public issues.

The case became public about a year after the #MeToo movement gained momentum in Taiwan in 2022.

In June 2023, Chung shared her story in a Facebook post, saying she wanted to "be a fighter rather than a victim."

Chung later filed a formal complaint against Chu, stating that he showed "no remorse" for his actions, as he did not directly address the incident.

In late March of this year, the Taipei District Court found Chu guilty of indecent assault and sentenced him to 14 months in prison, citing his "lack of remorse."

Chu appealed the case and apologized to Chung on Oct. 16, the day before the High Court trial.

In his Facebook post, Chu expressed his "deepest regret" to Chung, whom he referred to as "Miss A." He also admitted that his subsequent actions, including filing a formal complaint against himself and his remarks on social media, had caused her further distress.

"I have learned from my mistakes, and I will make no comment on this case other than to apologize and acknowledge my fault," he wrote.

Asked for her opinion on Chu's post, Chung described it as a "performative" gesture intended to impress the judge. "I believe everyone can tell his mindset now that he identified my full name when criticizing me but used a designation when apologizing," she said.

According to Chung, Chu refused to plead guilty during the district court trial but began seeking a settlement agreement after appealing to the High Court.

Chung said she had told Chu a settlement could be reached if he offered a sincere apology for his actions. However, instead of offering a genuine apology, Chu urged her, through his lawyer, to settle for a specific amount.

"I'm sorry, I'm not a commodity," she said, adding that "apologizing seems to be very difficult for him."