A video posted online on Tuesday that purportedly showed a pair of teenagers assaulting a senior citizen has gone viral on social media sites, provoking public anger and a police investigation.
Two teenagers seen in the video appear to repeatedly batter an elderly man with scooter helmets for almost a minute as the man cries for them to stop.
The video aroused public anger and incensed netizens searched to uncover the identities of the suspected assailants.
One netizen suggested that the incident might have happened at the 823 Memorial Park in New Taipei City’s Jhonghe District (中和).
Jhonghe First Precinct police officers yesterday said that they had identified three minors involved in the alleged assault after following online leads.
One minor surnamed Tsai (蔡) witnessed the incident, but did not participate in the apparent attack, police said. One of the two alleged assailants, surnamed Shen (沈), was taken in for questioning, officials added.
Police said Shen admitted to committing the assault, while a suspect surnamed Lin (林) has not yet been found.
However, Lin’s parents have been contacted by police to assist the search, they added.
Since the apparent victim has not yet presented himself to police or filed a suit against the alleged assailants, police will surrender the teens suspected of violating the Social Order Maintenance Act (社會秩序維護法) to the New Taipei District Court, the precinct said.
Police added that they would increase patrols at the park where the crime is thought to have taken place and asked the municipality’s Social Welfare Department to relocate any homeless people who might be in the park.
Police said the purported victim, surnamed Liao (廖), had been living in the park prior to the assault and officers are still looking for him.
Leaving the police station later yesterday, Shen said in tears that he would like to apologize to the victim.
“I apologize. I was wrong,” he said, adding: “My parents will probably disown me after watching the video.”
Saying that no one is entitled to harm others and that she did not raise her son well, Shen’s mother promised a kneeling apology to the apparent victim and financial compensation to show her and her son’s deep regret.
“I apologize to the public that I gave birth to a terrible son,” she added.
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