A landlord accused of molesting his female tenant on two separate occasions has been acquitted of one charge while being convicted of the other and sentenced to eight months in jail.
39-year-old Tsai Guang Yao Zhou was acquitted of the first charge as the victim was unsure if it was him or a spirit who had touched her.
According to the report, the incident occurred on June 5, 2021, when the victim woke up to the sensation of being kissed and molested by someone in her room. She saw a silhouette of a man with a hairstyle similar to Tsai’s, but she and her boyfriend were unsure if it was him or a spirit.
The victim and her boyfriend chose not to confront Tsai at that moment because they were uncertain whether the victim had been molested by Tsai or by a supernatural entity like a ghost or imp, according to testimony in court.
The room she rented had a door secured by a digital lock, with the passcode being set by Tsai and his wife. Following this incident, the victim and her boyfriend installed a CCTV camera in their room.
The second incident took place on August 15, 2021, when Tsai entered the victim’s room uninvited three times. The CCTV footage captured Tsai reaching towards the victim’s breast and touching her, prompting the victim to report the incident to the police.
He was pushing the victim’s hair away from her face when the woman suddenly sat up, looking concerned, the report added.
TOUCHED BY A SPIRIT
Tsai exited the room after a brief conversation with the victim, who later informed her boyfriend of the incident once he had finished his shower. The woman reported the incident to the police on Aug 16, 2021, and she and her boyfriend found a new place to stay. She shared her experience with another female tenant, who also decided to leave the accommodation.
During the trial, Tsai denied the accusations, claiming that he entered the room to conserve energy or check on the victim’s well-being.
Tsai’s stated that he went into the room during the second incident to either conserve energy or out of concern for the victim’s safety. He maintained that he did not touch the victim’s breast, explaining that he was attempting to flip her over and find a suitable part of her body to do so.
Judge Lee dismissed the first charge against Tsai, noting that the victim’s testimony was not particularly compelling for that incident.
However, Judge Lee Lit Cheng found him guilty of the second charge as the evidence against him was convincing and captured on camera.
The judge acquitted Tsai of the first charge, noting that the victim’s uncertainty about whether the culprit was a human or a spirit created reasonable doubt. Despite this, Tsai was sentenced to eight months in jail for the second incident.
JUDGE EXPLAINS :
As per the report, “(The victim) testified that she continued to reside in the flat after the first incident because she was unsure whether the culprit was the accused or a spirit,” said the judge.
“She said she would have moved out of the flat immediately if she was certain that the accused was the one who molested her.”
“(She) seemed to regard molestation by a spirit to be of a different nature from molestation by a human being,” said Judge Lee.
“Consequently, there was reasonable doubt whether (she) was sure if the physical acts … had in fact taken place.”
The victim testified that she and her boyfriend believed that she had been touched by a spirit, as there was a locked storeroom next to their room. Tsai and his wife prayed to Thai gods, according to the woman. They decided to stay in the flat to determine if the culprit was a human or a spirit.
The woman expressed hesitation in accusing the defendant, as she was uncertain about his guilt. The judge found Tsai guilty of the second charge based on clear evidence from CCTV footage.
Judge Lee dismissed Tsai’s claim that he was attempting to turn the victim over, stating that his explanation for not knocking before entering was not believable.
Tsai is currently appealing both his conviction and sentence and is out on bail pending the appeal. The victim and her boyfriend have since moved out of the flat following the incidents.
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