National Development Council (NDC) Deputy Minister Chiou Jiunn-rong (邱俊榮) yesterday resigned after allegations that he had taken photographs of a 22-year-old woman’s legs without her consent at a Taipei MRT station on Saturday.
Chiou yesterday apologized to the public and described it as an “honest mistake,” saying he accidentally took the photos while trying to call one of his friends.
He said he immediately deleted the photos and apologized to the woman, surnamed Chen (陳).
Chiou made the comments after someone identified him on the online discussion page “Baoliao Commune” as the one who allegedly took several photos of a woman’s legs at Ximen MRT Station.
The woman caught the man and demanded that they delete the photos, the netizen said.
Meanwhile, Taipei police said that the victim has reported the case to police at Ximending (西門町) and that they would summon the accused to clarify the accusation made against him.
They are checking CCTV footage from the station, police said.
In a statement last night, NDC Minister Chen Mei-ling (陳美伶) said that she has approved Chiou’s resignation and reported the incident to Premier William Lai (賴清德).
According to the Criminal Code (刑法), a person can only be charged if they have photographed another person’s private parts, lawyer Chen Chao-chuan (陳昭全) said.
According to Article 315-1 of the Criminal Code, a person can be sentenced to a maximum of three years in prison, short-term imprisonment or a maximum fine of NT$300,000 if they are found guilty of using “audio recording, photographic, visual taping or electromagnetic means without reason to record other’s non-public activities, speeches, talks or private body parts.”
Clinical observations have shown that people with high stress levels and who are sexually impulsive are likely to take photos of others without their consent, Tri-Service General Hospital psychiatrist Yang Tsung-tsai (楊聰財) said.
Taking photos up a woman’s skirt would be a way of relieving their stress or sexual urges, he said.
If conditions worsen and the people do not receive treatment, they have a 75 percent chance of committing the offense again, he said, adding that when this sort of behavior persists for more than six months, it is typically considered a mental disorder.
The Republic of China (ROC) is celebrating its 114th Double Ten National Day today, featuring military parades and a variety of performances and speeches in front of the Presidential Office in Taipei. The Taiwan Taiko Association opened the celebrations with a 100-drummer performance, including young percussionists. As per tradition, an air force Mirage 2000 fighter jet flew over the Presidential Office as a part of the performance. The Honor Guards of the ROC and its marching band also heralded in a military parade. Students from Taichung's Shin Min High School then followed with a colorful performance using floral imagery to represent Taiwan's alternate name
COGNITIVE WARFARE: Chinese fishing boats transmitting fake identification signals are meant to test Taiwan’s responses to different kinds of perceived incursions, a report said Chinese vessels are transmitting fake signals in Taiwan’s waters as a form of cognitive warfare, testing Taipei’s responses to various types of incursions, a report by the Institute for the Study of War said on Friday. Several Chinese fishing vessels transmitted fake automatic identification system (AIS) signals in Taiwan’s waters last month, with one mimicking a Russian warship and another impersonating a Chinese law enforcement vessel, the report said. Citing data from Starboard Maritime Intelligence, the report said that throughout August and last month, the Chinese fishing boat Minshiyu 06718 (閩獅漁06718) sailed through the Taiwan Strait while intermittently transmitting its own AIS
CHINESE INFILTRATION: Medical logistics is a lifeline during wartime and the reported CCP links of a major logistics company present a national security threat, an expert said The government would bolster its security check system to prevent China from infiltrating the nation’s medical cold chain, a national security official said yesterday. The official, who wished to stay anonymous, made the remarks after the Chinese-language magazine Mirror Media (鏡周刊) reported that Pharma Logistics (嘉里醫藥物流) is in charge of the medical logistics of about half of the nation’s major hospitals, including National Taiwan University Hospital and Taipei Veterans General Hospital. The company’s parent, Kerry TJ Logistics Co (嘉里大榮物流), is associated with the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA), the
COVETED PRIZE: The US president would be a peace prize laureate should he persuade Xi Jinping to abandon military aggression against Taiwan, William Lai said US President Donald Trump should get the Nobel Peace Prize should he be able to convince Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) to abandon the use of force against Taiwan, President William Lai (賴清德) told a conservative US radio show and podcast in an interview. The US is Taiwan’s most important international backer, despite the absence of formal ties, but since Trump took office earlier this year he has not announced any new arms sales to the nation. Trump could meet Xi at the APEC summit in South Korea on Oct. 31 and Nov. 1. Lai, speaking on The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton