The Taiwan Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence yesterday urged the government to expand the Ministry of the Interior's (MOI) Domestic Violence and sexual assault prevention Committee.
The coalition held a meeting with the press yesterday ahead of Women's Day on Tuesday. According to the coalition, given the increasing number of sexual crimes, the government should not downsize the committee, but rather upgrade it to a "department."
In 2002, the number of sexual violence cases was 2,977; in 2003, the number increased to 3,118, a 14 percent increase.
Statistics have shown that the unofficial worldwide sexual crime rate is likely seven to tenfold that in official records.
Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Eva Hsieh (謝欣霓), who attended the event, said that until police officers are professionally trained to take statements in such cases, the true number of sexual crimes will remain unknown.
Hsieh and other female lawmakers urged the government to pay more attention to cases of domestic and sexual violence.
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