People who have faced sexual abuse have the right to express themselves and seek support, the Ministry of Health and Welfare said yesterday after earlier facing criticism over its recommendation that people not post about their situation on social media.
Actor Chiang Tsu-ping (江祖平) last month wrote on Threads that a staff member at a local television network had drugged an actor and committed sexual offenses against her.
Chiang later wrote that she was the woman and accused the staff member, who was her ex-boyfriend, of the offenses.
Photo: Screen grab from Chiang Tsu-ping’s Facebook page
Department of Protective Services Director-General Chang Hsiu-yuan (張秀鴛) on Friday said it is common for people who have been targeted by sexual violence to seek help anonymously for fear of criticism.
Although a “public trial in the media” is not illegal, it is not appropriate, Chang said, adding that people should instead report cases to the police, preserve evidence and allow the judicial process to proceed.
Chang’s remarks triggered a backlash from public figures.
Lin Chia-hsin (林佳新), a Yunlin County-based influencer, asked why Chiang does not have the right to make her situation public and if it was the ministry’s hope that such cases be resolved privately.
Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Huang Jie (黃捷) yesterday wrote on Threads that there should be “zero tolerance for sexual assault” and praised Chiang for “bravely revealing her case of being sexually assaulted, which needs great courage.”
The public should support Chiang, Huang wrote.
Even in an intimate relationship, both sides must follow the principle that “only yes means yes,” so if one side does not agree, then forced sexual behavior is sexual assault and a crime, she wrote.
“Victims should not be scrutinized, the perpetrator must pay the responsibility,” she wrote, adding that no one should suffer because of their gender, relationship or power deficit.
The public should seek clarity about claims regarding the case, strongly condemn sexual violence, support victims and create a safer environment, Huang said.
Former legislator Kao Chia-yu (高嘉瑜) also voiced support for Chiang on Threads, stressing that there is “zero tolerance for domestic violence” and calling sexual assault a “heinous crime.”
Anyone could be a victim of domestic violence, but public figures tend to conceal such things because they tend to elicit snarky remarks and speculation, said Kao, whose former boyfriend was convicted in 2022 on charges including assault causing injury, unlawful confinement, illegally recording intimate activities, threatening behavior and slander.
However, silence is an accomplice to evil, Kao said.
She said that she made her experience of being a victim public so that the perpetrator would be punished by the judiciary and to encourage others to be brave and step forward.
That would help others avoid becoming victims, she added.
Everyone should support Chiang, Kao said, adding that social welfare agencies should do all they can to assist and protect victims.
The ministry later yesterday said in a statement that Chang’s remarks were meant to remind people that when a sexual assault has occurred, the most important thing is to properly protect the person affected and give them legal assistance, especially public figures, who might face secondary trauma if the case is reported by the media.
People have the right to choose how to express themselves and seek support, it said, adding that it supports those who bravely seek assistance, and would continue to provide them with consultations, social workers and legal resources.
Additional reporting by Chiu Yi-chin
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