Several parents groups yesterday expressed opposition to a call for the abolishment of the statutory rape clause in the Criminal Code made by a number of participants at this year’s Taiwan Gay Pride parade.
The National Parents’ Association, the National Alliance of Parents Organizations and the Taiwan Children’s Rights Association said they became concerned after several parties and candidates running in January’s legislative elections took part in the Oct. 31 parade, during which the abolishment of Article 227 of the Criminal Code was advocated.
The article stipulates that having sex with or committing obscene acts against minors, those aged under 16, is a criminal offense.
The groups said during a joint news conference that the article is aimed at protecting minors, so that they do not have sex before they are physically and mentally mature.
The groups voiced opposition to the abolishment of the article, urging political parties and candidates to make their stance on the issue clear.
In a statement released on Saturday last week, organizers of the parade said the call for abolishing Article 227 was made by a group that took part in the annual event, in which all participants were allowed to freely express their opinions.
The article was not part of the main issues advocated in this year’s parade, but was in line with the theme of “no age limit,” which sought to “explore how our everyday self-expression is hindered by social norms associated with age, sex and gender,” the organizers said.
POLAM KOPITIAM CASE: Of the two people still in hospital, one has undergone a liver transplant and is improving, while the other is being evaluated for a liver transplant A fourth person has died from bongkrek acid poisoning linked to the Polam Kopitiam (寶林茶室) restaurant in Taipei’s Far Eastern Sogo Xinyi A13 Department Store, the Ministry of Health and Welfare said yesterday, as two other people remain seriously ill in hospital. The first death was reported on March 24. The man had been 39 years old and had eaten at the restaurant on March 22. As more cases of suspected food poisoning involving people who had eaten at the restaurant were reported by hospitals on March 26, the ministry and the Taipei Department of Health launched an investigation. The Food and
The long-awaited Taichung aquarium is expected to open next year after more than a decade of development. The building in Cingshui District (清水) is to feature a large ocean aquarium on the first floor, coral display area on the second floor, a jellyfish tank and Dajia River (大甲溪) basin display on the third, a river estuary display and restaurant on the fourth, and a cafe and garden on the fifth. As it is near Wuci Fishing Port (梧棲漁港), many are expecting the opening of the aquarium to bring more tourism to the harbor. Speaking at the city council on Monday, Taichung City Councilor
A fourth person has died in a food poisoning outbreak linked to the Xinyi (信義) branch of Malaysian restaurant chain Polam Kopitiam (寶林茶室) in Taipei, Deputy Minister of Health and Welfare Victor Wang (王必勝) said on Monday. It was the second fatality in three days, after another was announced on Saturday. The 40-year-old woman experienced multiple organ failure in the early hours on Monday, and the family decided not to undergo emergency resuscitation, Wang said. She initially showed signs of improvement after seeking medical treatment for nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, but her condition worsened due to an infection, he said. Two others who
Taiwanese should be mindful when visiting China, as Beijing in July is likely to tighten the implementation of policies on national security following the introduction of two regulations, a researcher said on Saturday. China on Friday unveiled the regulations governing the law enforcement and judicial activities of national security agencies. They would help crack down on “illegal” and “criminal” activities that Beijing considers to be endangering national security, according to reports by China’s state media. The definition of what constitutes a national security threat in China is vague, Taiwan Thinktank researcher Wu Se-chih (吳瑟致) said. The two procedural regulations are to provide Chinese