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`Huakang Wolf' released from prison on parole

After serving 12 years behind bars for sexually assaulting 30 women, the man the police dubbed the "Huakang Wolf" (華岡之狼) was paroled yesterday afternoon.

Police called the man, surnamed Yang, the Huakang Wolf because most of his victims were students at the Chinese Culture University on Yangmingshan, in an area known by its nickname, Huakang.

STATEMENT

In a written statement released yesterday, Yang said that while he was happy to be paroled, he could never forget the wrongs he had done, which harmed not only others but also meant he lost his own youth in prison.

His actions had left him in great torment, he said, adding that he would like to offer sincere apologies to the people he hurt.

Saying that he knew the public would examine his future actions with a magnifying glass, he said he would follow the counselling and supervision required of him while on parole.

A serious parole violation could put Yang back behind bars, prosecutors said yesterday.

RFID DEVICE

Hualien Prosecutor Huang Yi-chun (黃怡君) said yesterday that Yang would be required to wear a radio frequency identification (RFID) device, which would help police track his movements.

However, the law stipulates that such monitoring is only permissible at night, and there is no legal basis for day-time monitoring, she said.

To reassure the public, Huang said Yang's guardian would closely monitor him and keep in close touch with the police. The police will also visit Yang periodically, she said.

Cases where people are required to wear RFID devices are evaluated every three months to determine whether the need still exists for such monitoring, she said.

Yang first became eligible for parole in 2001, but he was turned down seven times because of concerns about recidivism.

REJECTIONS

In July 2001 Yang took the joint university entrance exam and was admitted to the National Taiwan University's sociology department. His request for parole to attend university was rejected and the extension waver granted him by the university has now expired.
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