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.
SECURITY: As China is ‘reshaping’ Hong Kong’s population, Taiwan must raise the eligibility threshold for applications from Hong Kongers, Chiu Chui-cheng said When Hong Kong and Macau citizens apply for residency in Taiwan, it would be under a new category that includes a “national security observation period,” Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) Minister Chiu Chui-cheng (邱垂正) said yesterday. President William Lai (賴清德) on March 13 announced 17 strategies to counter China’s aggression toward Taiwan, including incorporating national security considerations into the review process for residency applications from Hong Kong and Macau citizens. The situation in Hong Kong is constantly changing, Chiu said to media yesterday on the sidelines of the Taipei Technology Run hosted by the Taipei Neihu Technology Park Development Association. With
CARROT AND STICK: While unrelenting in its military threats, China attracted nearly 40,000 Taiwanese to over 400 business events last year Nearly 40,000 Taiwanese last year joined industry events in China, such as conferences and trade fairs, supported by the Chinese government, a study showed yesterday, as Beijing ramps up a charm offensive toward Taipei alongside military pressure. China has long taken a carrot-and-stick approach to Taiwan, threatening it with the prospect of military action while reaching out to those it believes are amenable to Beijing’s point of view. Taiwanese security officials are wary of what they see as Beijing’s influence campaigns to sway public opinion after Taipei and Beijing gradually resumed travel links halted by the COVID-19 pandemic, but the scale of
A US Marine Corps regiment equipped with Naval Strike Missiles (NSM) is set to participate in the upcoming Balikatan 25 exercise in the Luzon Strait, marking the system’s first-ever deployment in the Philippines. US and Philippine officials have separately confirmed that the Navy Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System (NMESIS) — the mobile launch platform for the Naval Strike Missile — would take part in the joint exercise. The missiles are being deployed to “a strategic first island chain chokepoint” in the waters between Taiwan proper and the Philippines, US-based Naval News reported. “The Luzon Strait and Bashi Channel represent a critical access
Pope Francis is be laid to rest on Saturday after lying in state for three days in St Peter’s Basilica, where the faithful are expected to flock to pay their respects to history’s first Latin American pontiff. The cardinals met yesterday in the Vatican’s synod hall to chart the next steps before a conclave begins to choose Francis’ successor, as condolences poured in from around the world. According to current norms, the conclave must begin between May 5 and 10. The cardinals set the funeral for Saturday at 10am in St Peter’s Square, to be celebrated by the dean of the College
RSS