The police encouraged victims of an alleged rapist surnamed Tsao (曹) to come forward yesterday, after he told police that he had raped “at least” 50 women in the Taipei City area.
“We hope that more victims, if there are any, can help us convict him,” said Cheng Jung-kun (鄭榮昆), captain of the Keelung City Police Department’s Criminal Investigation Corp.
Tsao, a 54-year-old former taxi driver, was arrested at a shelter for the homeless in Taipei last Thursday after Criminal Investigation Bureau (CIB) officers accused him of raping his eldest daughter.
The arrest was made after officers discovered Tsao’s DNA matched a sample from a case involving the kidnap, rape and murder of a junior high school girl in Keelung 10 years ago.
Police said Tsao admitted the crime, but also told them he had raped “at least” another 50 women in Taipei’s Muzha, Nangang, Da-an and Neihu districts during the past 10 years.
Cheng said that the figure given by Tsao was higher than the number of rapes reported in these districts during that period.
“It is possible that victims were afraid to report them to the police,” Cheng said.
Citing Tsao’s confession, Cheng said that Tsao especially “liked” petite girls and would take them in his cab to a remote location before raping them.
Cheng said that Tsao is also alleged to have raped his youngest daughter in 1997.
The law requires the faces of those charged with incest to be covered to protect the identity of the victims so a ban on showing Tsao’s face made it more difficult for potential victims to identify him and come forward, Cheng said.
“We ask any potential victims to come forward,” he said.
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