The Executive Yuan yesterday approved a draft bill to prevent stalking, which, if passed by the Legislative Yuan, would be the first of its kind in the nation.
The Cabinet expects the legislature to pass the draft legislation by May 28, the last day of the current legislative session, Executive Yuan spokesman Lo Ping-cheng (羅秉成) told a regular news briefing.
Premier Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) has instructed the Executive Yuan to implement the law six months after its promulgation, and not in a year as originally planned, Lo said.
Local media reports said that Lo, who is also a minister without portfolio, was largely responsible for hammering out the bill after the murder earlier this month of a Pingtung woman — allegedly by her stalker — drew calls for action from lawmakers.
The draft bill includes stipulations for specific protective orders, in a departure from a proposal submitted by the National Police Agency in October last year, which critics said treated stalking as equivalent to harassment and did not provide an immediate remedy for at-risk victims.
According to the latest draft bill, stalking would be punishable by up to three years in prison, which is commutable to a maximum fine of NT$300,000 (US$10,700).
Stalking with a weapon is an aggravated offense punishable by up to five years in prison, which is commutable to a maximum fine of NT$500,000, it says.
The draft bill defines stalking as a range of unwanted behavior that has a sexual or sex-related motive, is persistent or repeated, and engender fear in victims that could disrupt their normal lives.
Stalking includes surveilling, observing and following the victim in person or via another, picketing domiciles, workplaces, schools and other places frequented by the victim, and repeating unwanted demands for an intimate relationship, the draft bill says.
Other acts of stalking include sending unwanted messages, images, recordings, goods or services via the Internet or other means; repeated use of discriminatory or hateful language or actions meant to intimidate, mock, threaten or denigrate the victim, among others, it stipulates.
After establishing the credibility of a complaint in a stalking allegation, police should issue a cease and desist warning to the accused stalker, which is valid for two years.
If the alleged perpetrator does not comply with the warning, the victim, police or prosecutor could file for a protective order in court.
Breaking an anti-stalking protective order is a separate offense punishable by three years in prison, which could be commuted to fine of NT$300,000.
Furthermore, prosecutors may ask a court to detain alleged stalkers if the evidence against them is strong and if there is reason to believe they might persist in stalking their victims.
Spouses, direct blood relatives, coinhabitants and close associates could be charged with stalking under the provisions of the draft bill.
Eight Chinese naval vessels and 24 military aircraft were detected crossing the median line of the Taiwan Strait between 6am yesterday and 6am today, the Ministry of National Defense said this morning. The aircraft entered Taiwan’s northern, central, southwestern and eastern air defense identification zones, the ministry said. The armed forces responded with mission aircraft, naval vessels and shore-based missile systems to closely monitor the situation, it added. Eight naval vessels, one official ship and 36 aircraft sorties were spotted in total, the ministry said.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) today said that if South Korea does not reply appropriately to its request to correct Taiwan’s name on its e-Arrival card system before March 31, it would take corresponding measures to alter how South Korea is labeled on the online Taiwan Arrival Card system. South Korea’s e-Arrival card system lists Taiwan as “China (Taiwan)” in the “point of departure” and “next destination” fields. The ministry said that it changed the nationality for South Koreans on Taiwan’s Alien Resident Certificates from “Korea” to “South Korea” on March 1, in a gesture of goodwill and based on the
Taiwanese officials were shown the first of 66 F-16V fighter jets purchased by Taiwan from the United States, the Ministry of National Defense said yesterday, adding the aircraft has completed an initial flight test and is expected to be delivered later this year. A delegation led by Deputy Minister of National Defense Hsu Szu-chien (徐斯儉) visited Lockheed Martin’s F-16 C/D Block 70 (also known as F-16V) assembly line in South Carolina on March 16 to view the aircraft. The jet will undergo a final acceptance flight in the US before being delivered to Taiwan, the
The New Taipei Metro's Sanyin Line and the eastern extension of the Taipei Metro's Tamsui-Xinyi Line (Red Line) are scheduled to begin operations in June, the National Development Council said today. The Red Line, which terminates at Xiangshan Station, would be connected by the 1.4km extension to a new eastern terminal, Guangci/Fengtian Temple Station, while the Sanyin Line would link New Taipei City's Tucheng and Yingge stations via Sanxia District (三峽). The council gave the updates at a council meeting reviewing progress on public construction projects for this year. Taiwan's annual public infrastructure budget would remain at NT$800 billion (US$25.08 billion), with NT$97.3
RSS