Fu Jen Catholic University gave College of Social Sciences dean Hsia Lin-ching (夏林清) a lenient punishment by suspending her for one year for her malfeasance in handling an alleged sexual assault on campus, Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Rosalia Wu (吳思瑤) said at the legislature in Taipei yesterday.
The university handed down the punishment late last month.
Hsia allegedly tried to cover up an alleged rape by blaming the victim, a psychology major surnamed Wu (巫), before putting the coed on a “show trial” during a discussion attended by department of psychology faculty and students.
Photo: Wang Yi-sung, Taipei Times
Hsia openly accused the victim and her boyfriend, surnamed Chu (朱), of “defaming” the department of psychology by posting on Facebook about the college’s handling of the incident, saying that the sexual assault was a result of “lust” shared by Wu and the alleged rapist, a student surnamed Wang (王).
Saying that Hsia’s handling of the incident not only violated gender equality, but constituted bullying, Rosalia Wu asked Minister of Education Pan Wen-chung (潘文忠), who also attended the legislative meeting, whether the punishment given to Hsia was appropriate.
The university’s committee meeting came after a Feb. 19 deadline set by the ministry, which, according to 11 letters the ministry sent to the school, would mean the ministry should have taken the matter into its own hands and deal with Hsia in accordance with the Private School Act (私立學校法), Rosalia Wu said.
The ministry’s failure to do so showed that its words spoke louder than its actions, she said, and asked Pan to explain the ministry’s plans to resolve the case.
Pan said the ministry has received a letter from the university detailing its handling of the incident, adding that the ministry will assemble a committee in two weeks to review the case.
Earlier yesterday, Fu Jen students Lin Chien-yu (林建宇) and Tseng Hsin-yi (曾信毅) attempted to enter the room where the meeting was held to deliver a petition to Pan.
However, they could not do so as police stationed outside the room closed the doors and removed the students from the premises.
Lin and Tseng, who said they are close friends of the alleged rape victim and her boyfriend, gave a different account of the incident.
They said the victim and Chu last year told them that the accounts they had given on Facebook were not true.
Wu, who had moved out of Chu’s apartment before the alleged rape, had been close to Wang, they said.
Chu, who said he saw his girlfriend and Wang at the scene of the alleged assault, disclosed the incident out of resentment, they said, adding that Wu played the part of the victim because she felt guilty for having drifted away from Chu.
Hsia had been framed by the university, as the institution bowed to public outrage stirred up by the alleged victim’s open apology to Hsia last year, which many viewed as a forced apology, they said.
The ministry should prove Hsia’s innocence by establishing the truth, rather than being blinded by the university’s willingness to cave in to public pressure, they said.
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