The Control Yuan yesterday put forth a series of proposals, including the establishment of a whistle-blower protection program, to improve protections for children who have been sexually abused.
Control Yuan member Chi Hui-jung (紀惠容) and three other members told a news conference that the recommendations were part of a review of major sexual abuse cases involving minors over the past 10 years.
One of the proposals seeks to establish a whistle-blower program, under which people’s identities and right to work would be protected when they report cases of child sexual abuse.
The government should also set up an independent mechanism, either at the national or local level, to investigate and review reports of abuse, the Control Yuan members said.
More broadly, the government should expand education on children’s rights to break “the culture of silence” around such crimes, and allocate more funds for legal oversight, they said.
The Control Yuan panel also gave a briefing on its investigations into 17 major cases of child sexual abuse, which it said had formed the basis of its recommendations.
ABUSE ON CAMPUS
Eleven of the cases had occurred on school campuses, two at daycare centers and four at disabled care facilities, Chi said.
In 13 of the cases, the offender was an authority figure such as a teacher, coach or supervisor, she said.
Chi said that in 12 of the cases, one person had abused several victims, while five cases involved multiple offenders and victims, and four involved instances in which a victim became an abuser.
In total, the 17 cases involved about 113 offenders and 247 victims, she said.
Reports of sexual assault and harassment on school campuses have been rising steadily in Taiwan since 2006, with 94.3 percent of the 8,160 abuse cases reported last year involving students aged 12 to 18, Chi said.
Panel member Yeh Ta-hua (葉大華) said several of the 17 cases involved male victims, which reflects changing attitudes toward male survivors of sexual abuse.
The Control Yuan’s final report on the issue is due on July 31 next year.
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