A spokesperson for Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Kao Chia-yu (高嘉瑜) yesterday thanked members of the public for their concern after a report alleging she had been abused by her partner, sparking outpourings of sympathy and condemnations of violence from officials.
Kao yesterday filed a report against her boyfriend with Taipei police, claiming he physically assaulted her during a recent altercation. The case was transferred to the New Taipei City Police Department, as the alleged incident occurred in Banciao District (板橋).
The New Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office said that its Crimes against Women and Children Division has started to collect evidence to determine whether to launch a full investigation.
Photo: Wang Ting-chuan, Taipei Times
A statement issued earlier in the day through the Legislative Yuan’s office said that Kao was preparing a response to the allegations, including relevant documentation.
“Chia-yu will bravely face the matter in the hopes of preventing another victim,” it said. “Thanks again to everyone for their concern.”
The Chinese-language Mirror Media early yesterday published a report alleging that Kao was beaten by her partner last month over messages from a former boyfriend on her phone.
Photo: CNA
He allegedly seized her phone and kept her in a hotel for two days, after which Kao sought medical attention for her injuries at National Taiwan University Hospital, it reported.
Photographs published by the magazine showed bruises on Kao’s neck, wrists and hands.
Public officials condemned the violence, while extending their sympathy to Kao.
In Taipei, the Department of Social Welfare said it is aware of the allegations, but urged confidentiality for those involved, while Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) condemned violence of any kind.
The department also urged victims of domestic violence to call the 113 Children and Women Protection Hotline or 110 emergency number.
Presidential Office spokesman Xavier Chang (張惇涵) said that President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) had instructed the office to call Kao to convey her concern.
The office “strongly condemns violence and would support Kao if she decides to take legal action,” he added.
Chang also denied claims by Kao’s partner that he is a national security adviser.
Legislative Speaker You Si-kun (游錫堃) said he feels for Kao and wished her a speedy recovery.
Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung (陳時中) also reiterated the government’s “zero-tolerance policy” toward violence between intimate partners.
Whether incidents get reported depends on a number of factors, he said, adding that the issue is not so simple it can be solved by a single policy.
Regardless, violence between intimate partners should not be treated with leniency or swept under the rug, Chen added.
Research has shown that it is hard to stop domestic violence once it begins, Chen said.
According to a Ministry of Health and Welfare survey, one in five women in Taiwan are subject to violence at the hands of an intimate partner.
Psychological abuse is the most common, followed by physical abuse, the ministry said yesterday.
A popular figure in the DPP, Kao rocketed into the public eye after becoming the youngest-ever member of the National Assembly in 2005.
She went on to serve as a Taipei City Councilor from 2010 to last year, when she was elected to the Legislative Yuan to represent Taipei’s Neihu (內湖) and Nangang (南港) districts.
FIREPOWER: On top of the torpedoes, the military would procure Kestrel II anti-tank weapons systems to replace aging license-produced M72 LAW launchers Taiwan is to receive US-made Mark 48 torpedoes and training simulators over the next three years, following delays that hampered the navy’s operational readiness, the Ministry of National Defense’s latest budget proposal showed. The navy next year would acquire four training simulator systems for the torpedoes and take receipt of 14 torpedoes in 2027 and 10 torpedoes in 2028, the ministry said in its budget for the next fiscal year. The torpedoes would almost certainly be utilized in the navy’s two upgraded Chien Lung-class submarines and the indigenously developed Hai Kun, should the attack sub successfully reach operational status. US President Donald Trump
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) is expected to start construction of its 1.4-nanometer chip manufacturing facilities at the Central Taiwan Science Park (CTSP, 中部科學園區) as early as October, the Chinese-language Liberty Times (the Taipei Times’ sister newspaper) reported yesterday, citing the park administration. TSMC acquired land for the second phase of the park’s expansion in Taichung in June. Large cement, construction and facility engineering companies in central Taiwan have reportedly been receiving bids for TSMC-related projects, the report said. Supply-chain firms estimated that the business opportunities for engineering, equipment and materials supply, and back-end packaging and testing could reach as high as
ALL QUIET: The Philippine foreign secretary told senators she would not respond to questions about whether Lin Chia-lung was in the country The Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Wednesday confirmed that a business delegation is visiting the Philippines, but declined to say whether Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) is part of the group, as Philippine lawmakers raised questions over Lin’s reported visit. The group is being led by Deputy Minister of Agriculture Huang Chao-chin (黃昭欽), Chinese International Economic Cooperation Association (CIECA) chairman Joseph Lyu (呂桔誠) and US-Taiwan Business Council (USTBC) vice president Lotta Danielsson, the ministry said in a statement. However, sources speaking on condition of anonymity said that Lin is leading the delegation of 70 people. Filinvest New Clark City Innovation Park
DEFENSIVE EDGE: The liaison officer would work with Taiwan on drones and military applications for other civilian-developed technologies, a source said A Pentagon unit tasked with facilitating the US military’s adoption of new technology is soon to deploy officials to dozens of friendly nations, including Taiwan, the Financial Times reported yesterday. The US Department of Defense’s Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) is to send a representative to collaborate with Taiwan on drones and military applications from the semiconductor industry by the end of the year, the British daily reported, citing three sources familiar with the matter. “Drones will certainly be a focus, but they will also be looking at connecting to the broader civilian and dual-use ecosystem, including the tech sector,” one source was
RSS