Thu, Aug 09, 2001 page2

• `Wolf of Shihlin' may study at NTU

  QUESTION OF JUSTICE Convicted of the rapes of over 30 women five years ago, a prisoner turned student, having served one-third of his term, qualifies for parole

  • STAFF WRITER
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  Students at National Taiwan University are uncertain about whether they want a convicted rapist known as the "Wolf of Shihlin" in their midst.

  The "Wolf," who was sentenced to 16 years in prison in 1996 for raping more than 30 woman in Taipei's Shihlin district, recently gained admission to the university's law department.

  Though the "Wolf" has been identified by name countless times in the media before and his name is a matter of public record, the management of the Taipei Times is unwilling to reprint his name in this report because the nation's laws prohibit it.

  The "Wolf" has served the minimum one-third of his sentence to qualify for parole, an official from the Ministry of Justice said.

  He had been jailed for almost a year when he was convicted.

  The "Wolf's" score on this year's Joint College Entrance Exam was high enough to get him into NTU's law department. He's also eligible for a NT$2 million scholarship if he opts to study at a private university.

  But the convicted rapist says he wants to study at NTU's sociology department and become a social worker.

  The news has caused an uproar among female students in the sociology department.

  "I would be lying if I said I wasn't worried," said a student who identified herself as Hsiao-lin (小林). But on the other hand, she said, students also want to accept him and build a friendly environment.

  "It would be unfair to discriminate against him," the student said.

  Women's groups have been cautious in their response. Chi Hui-jung (紀惠容), chief executive officer of the Garden of Hope Foundation, said she could not comment on the "Wolf's" possible parole before knowing more about the case.

  Lin Chien-lung (林建隆), an English literature professor at Soochow University and author of the book Hooligan Professor (流氓教授), came out in support of the inmate. Lin himself was convicted of attempted murder at age 23 and served a five year sentence.

  Ministry officials said they would conduct a strict and discreet review of the "Wolf's" case before deciding whether to grant him parole. The ministry is expected to make its final decision before the end of the month.

  The application for parole will be first reviewed by prison authorities, who will decide whether or not to submit it to the ministry.

  Prison officials said the "Wolf" had been given one year of psychiatric treatment at the Taipei Prison.

  Four inmates from the prison sat for the Joint College Entrance Exam this year. Two were admitted into universities and one into a technical college.

  Chinese-language media yesterday quoted an unnamed NTU official as saying the university has no reason to reject the student, as long as he is deemed fit psychologically to pursue his studies.

  Minister of Education Ovid Tzeng (曾志朗) urged the university to provide the "Wolf" with appropriate counseling and medical treatment to help him adapt to campus life.

  Tzeng also called on the public not to look upon the "Wolf" with contempt.

  Chen Dung-shen (陳東升), head of the NTU sociology department, said the department would provide the "Wolf" with long-term counseling.

  Chang Jung-chang (張榮昌), a re-education official at the Taipei Prison, said the "Wolf" has made good psychological progress over the years, but added that no psychiatrist could guarantee he wouldn't commit a rape again.

  The possibility of recidivist behavior can be kept to a minimum through regular counseling sessions, Chang said.
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