Taipei prosecutors yesterday said that there is insufficient evidence to indict a former McDonald’s manager accused of sexually assaulting a 17-year-old employee who later died by suicide in November last year.
The Shilin District Prosecutors’ Office said the decision came at the conclusion of its investigation, which involved questioning the complainant, the complainant’s representative and the suspect.
Investigators also reviewed documentary evidence provided by McDonald’s, the prosecutors said.
Photo: Wu Cheng-feng, Taipei Times
As the case involves allegations of sexual assault, further details cannot be disclosed to protect the privacy of those involved, the office said.
The case was originally transferred to the Shilin District Prosecutors’ Office in May last year and was assigned to prosecutors specializing in women’s and children’s cases, police said.
The case attracted widespread public attention after the teen’s mother on the social media site Threads in December last year said that her daughter had been driven to suicide after being sexually assaulted by her supervisor at McDonald’s over a yearlong period.
The post went viral, gardening more than 600 comments and about 1,700 reposts within 10 days.
In the same month, the Taipei Department of Labor fined McDonald’s NT$1 million (US$30,252) for contravening Article 13-2 of the Gender Equality in Employment Act (性別工作平等法), which mandates that employers prevent and respond to sexual harassment in the workplace.
This was the maximum fine allowed under the act for failing to take “immediate and effective corrective and remedial measures” in instances where the employer “becomes aware of a situation involving sexual harassment.”
In January, McDonald’s issued a public apology, saying the company “failed to take preventative action before it happened, and the handling was not timely nor comprehensive enough.”
It said it dismissed the manager in May last year following the teen’s sexual harassment complaint in March of that year.
The girl’s parents, accompanied by their lawyer, in a media interview yesterday said they “absolutely cannot accept” the prosecutors’ decision and would continue to consult with their lawyer and explore all remaining legal avenues, before filing a motion for reconsideration.
The teen’s father said that the announcement leaves him thinking that the law can only protect the rich.
Until now, McDonald’s has not issued a direct apology, only a public statement that sounded as though the incident did not happen at one of their establishments, he said.
The perpetrator has, until now, not said a single word and is hiding, he said, adding: “Is that right? Is that fair?”
The family has evidence of their daughter discussing similar incidents of sexual harassment among her colleagues on the messaging platform Line, he said, adding that he hopes that any other victims would be brave and speak out, to prevent the perpetrator from continuing to harm others.
The family has faced online accusations of sensationalizing the case and pursuing it for financial gain, but the father said this was never their intention — all they have ever wanted is a sincere apology.
The only time compensation was mentioned was when the girl’s mother asked the manager: “How much is your daughter worth? However much it is, that’s what our daughter is worth,” he said.
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