Prosecutors have dropped their case against a McDonald’s supervisor accused of sexually assaulting a former employee after the 17-year-old girl took her own life in November last year, the Shilin District Prosecutors’ Office said today.
The office cited insufficient evidence and in its decision not to prosecute, but added that it cannot release any further details or the reasoning, due to it being a sexual assault case.
The complainant may request a review of the decision, it said.
Photo: Taipei Times
Following the girl’s suicide, her mother posted on social media platform Threads in December to inform the public of the alleged sexual assault and harassment her daughter experienced.
The teen began working as a part-time employee at a Taipei branch of McDonald’s in August 2022, aged 16, she said.
Not long after, a supervisor groped her waist, breasts and buttocks, with the sexual assault and harassment lasting for one year, she said.
The girl became too afraid to go to work and wanted to quit, but as the manager would not sign the paperwork, she deliberately skipped shifts so she would be dismissed, she added.
After her termination, she filed a sexual harassment complaint to McDonald’s, but battled depression and ultimately took her life in November, she said.
McDonald’s said it had received the complaint in March last year, and following an investigation, harassment was found to have taken place and the supervisor was dismissed, it added.
However, the company offered no explanation or consolation to the victim, her mother said.
The Taipei Police Department’s Shilin Precinct transferred the case to prosecutors in May last year.
Prosecutors summoned witnesses and the victim’s mother to testify in January to further clarify the case.
If experiencing suicidal thoughts, please call the 1925, 1995 or 1980 hotlines in Taiwan for help.
Additional reporting by Chang Wen-chuan
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