The National Police Agency (NPA) has established dedicated taskforces to handle stalking and harassment cases, the Ministry of the Interior said on Thursday, with a new anti-stalking law set to come into force next month.
The NPA has formed “emergency response teams” at the central and local government levels to respond to reports of stalking and harassment in a more timely manner, Minister of the Interior Hsu Kuo-yung (徐國勇) said in a news release.
The teams were established in response to the Stalking and Harassment Prevention Act (跟蹤騷擾防制法), which is to take effect on Wednesday next week, he said.
The ministry will also bring together a team of government officials, experts and representatives from civic groups to regularly review the way in which police handle stalking and harassment cases, Hsu said.
It has also introduced new regulations in accordance with the law, increased the number of law enforcement officers and provided police training, with the aim of ensuring all reports of stalking and harassment are properly handled, the statement said.
The Stalking and Harassment Prevention Act (跟蹤騷擾防制法) was signed into law late last year to increase punishments for such behavior and offer more protection to victims.
Under the act, stalking and harassment are defined as continuous or repeated actions related to sex or gender that frighten the victim and have a negative impact on their daily lives.
The act lists eight types of behavior as constituting stalking and harassment, including spying on and trailing, following and approaching, threatening and insulting, and online harassment.
It also includes pursuing a relationship in an inappropriate manner, sending messages, delivering video clips or other objects by mail to another person, tarnishing someone’s reputation or using their identity to buy goods.
Senior NPA official Shen Ping-hsin (沈炳信) told a news conference on Thursday that the act not only provides stricter punishments, but also offers better protection to victims by allowing more active police intervention.
People found guilty of any of the eight actions face up to one year in prison and may be fined up to NT$100,000, the act states.
Anyone found guilty of engaging in stalking or harassment while carrying a dangerous weapon can be sentenced to a maximum of five-years in prison and may be fined up to NT$500,000.
In addition, the police can issue a “written warning” to a person reported to have engaged in stalking or harassment after some initial inquiry and before prosecutors investigate the case, Shen said.
The police will also help victims of such offenses obtain a restraining order from a court, he said.
If a suspect is considered likely to commit repeated stalking or harassment even after police warnings, the court can take him or her into custody as a precautionary measure, he added.
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