When there are allegations of abuse at kindergartens, obtaining surveillance footage immediately is vital, but parents and teachers often report that gaining access is difficult, making it impossible to determine the facts, Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Lin Yueh-chin (林月琴) said on Dec. 12.
Incidents of alleged abuse at childcare facilities from August to October have highlighted the helplessness parents feel during investigations, Lin said.
Parents are often told during investigations that surveillance equipment is private property or that the information is personal, so to protect the owners’ rights, they are not allowed to access it, she said.
Photo: Lee Wen-hsin, Taipei Times
Lin said that her office held eight meetings with government agencies from March to October, with the conclusion being that parents have the right to petition institutions to provide surveillance footage.
Police can request footage for an investigation, meaning a complaint must be filed, she said, adding that the probe must be an administrative one, not criminal.
Parents can accompany officers to a school to review the footage, Lin said.
K-12 Education Administration employee Wang Yi-ting (王怡婷) said that the Ministry of Education on Oct. 29 issued an administrative directive to all local governments stipulating that footage from surveillance cameras is considered substantial evidence for the duration of administrative investigations into alleged child abuse or sexual harassment.
The directive says Article 46 of the Administrative Procedure Act (行政程序法) stipulates that parents of alleged victims are entitled to review surveillance footage, provided that the information does not affect public security, Wang said.
The ministry is amending the Act on Investigations and Handling Legal Infringements for Preschool Educators (教保相關人員違法事件調查處理辦法) to require that parents of alleged victims receive a copy of the investigative report, Wang said.
The ministry would look into measures to ensure local governments adhere to the 15-day process to retrieve surveillance footage from facilities, Wang said, adding that , the process can be extended to 45 days.
FUKUOKA SITUATION: Japanese media reported that the pathogen is expected to be identified by the summer, while the CDC downplayed the idea that it was hMPV A “mysterious cold-like illness” reported in Japan’s Fukuoka Prefecture does not seem to be a new disease, but Japanese authorities have been asked about the situation, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said yesterday. The Fukuoka Prefectural Medical Association on Wednesday told a news conference that a “mystery cold” that has become a hot topic on social media is “highly likely to be caused by some kind of viral infection,” Japan’s KBC News reported. “Many people are experiencing symptoms starting with a sore throat, followed by a runny nose, phlegm and a severe cough,” KBC News reported, citing association officials. Health authorities are
Nvidia Corp CEO Jensen Huang (黃仁勳) arrived in Taiwan yesterday ahead of upcoming AI and technology events, saying he plans to meet with clients and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co Chairman C.C. Wei (魏哲家) during his visit. After landing at Taipei Songshan Airport, Huang posed for photos with fans and handed out Yakult drinks to reporters and supporters waiting at the scene, saying he has “a lot to do” during the trip. Asked about reports that Nvidia’s planned headquarters site in Taipei’s Beitou Shilin Technology Park could break ground on May 27, Huang said that if the company holds an event, he would
Carrefour Taiwan is to begin using a new name from the start of July, but it cannot divulge the name until then, the chairman of the supermarket chain's parent company said today. President Chain Store Co chairman Lo Chih-hsien (羅智先) was asked by reporters after a shareholders' meeting to confirm whether the company has settled on a new name for the supermarket brand. In March, the government-registered name of two Carrefour Taiwan branches was quietly changed to "Le Chia Kang" (樂家康) in Chinese, raising speculation that has been selected as the name. Lo said that because of local regulations and contractual obligations, the
The Philippines would likely be involved in any conflict over Taiwan due to its proximity to the democracy claimed by China, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr said, reiterating a stance that risks angering Beijing. “In the Philippines, we do not have a choice because Taiwan is so close to the Philippines and we have almost 200,000 Filipino nationals living and working in Taiwan,” Marcos said in an interview with Japanese media in Manila on Monday. The Philippine leader’s comments come ahead of a state visit to Japan next week, where he is to meet with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi to discuss security
RSS