Following two high-profile sex crimes in the past two weeks, government officials and women's groups said that the establishment of a community-security system is most urgent to prevent sexual harassment in the nation.
A 13-year old girl was allegedly raped and killed by her neighbor who has a record of sexual harassment, in Panchiao, Taipei County, on July 5. According to the authorities, some of the girl's neighbors heard and saw the girl screaming for help but didn't interfere because they thought that her parents were disciplining her.
Within five days of that gruesome case, a female lecturer was raped and killed in Kaohsiung City, after her neighbors didn't hear her screams.
"There are obviously serious problems in our community-security mechanism," said Chi Hui-jung (
Wu Wei-ting (
A government official from the Sexual Harassment Prevention Council under the Ministry of the Interior admitted that Wu was right, saying that the ignorance stems from traditional Chinese attitudes.
"With a culture of avoiding involvement in other people's personal affairs, the reporting system just can't function well in Taiwan," said Lin Tzu-ling (
"It's pathetic," Lin said.
According to statistics from the National Police Administration, more than 50 percent of sexual offenses are committed by friends, classmates or neighbors of victims, while a high percentage of the cases take place in residential areas.
Women's rights groups, quoting medical research saying that sex offenders frequently commit more crimes after their release from prison, have been promoting a system notifying communities where released sexual offenders live.
In reaction to the statistics and women's groups' campaign, the government is drafting a proposal to establish a community-security system, and the authorities are now also on the way to complete a database on sex offenders as part of the 1997 Anti-Sexual Harassment Law.
The new system is designed to be more active than the present one as it will trace former sex offenders and notify the communities where they live, according to Lin.
The proposal is now in the discussion stage, with authorities finding out how to notify the communities and what kind of sex offenders should be traced by the system. The proposal will be completed at the end of August, Lin said.
"Notifying the communities in which these former offenders live is very important, especially as most of the offenders often repeat their crimes," said Chi.
The idea is a copy of the US "Megan's Law," named after a 7-year-old New Jersey girl who was raped and murdered in 1994 by a paroled sex offender who had moved into her neighborhood. The legislation provides for public notification of the identities and whereabouts of convicted sex offenders after their release from prison.
While a lot of children are currently spending time at home alone during summer vacation, Chi appealed to the public to be more sensitive on what happens in the neighborhoods.
"A phone report could change a woman or a child's life," Chi said.
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