A drunk woman was sexually assaulted inside a crowded concourse of Taipei Railway Station on Thursday last week before a foreign tourist notified police, leading to calls for better education on bystander intervention and review of security infrastructure.
The man, surnamed Chiu (邱), was taken into custody on charges of sexual assault, taking advantage of the woman’s condition and public indecency.
Police discovered that Chiu was a fugitive with prior convictions for vehicle theft.
Photo: Wang Kuan-jen, Taipei Times
He has been taken into custody and is to complete his unserved six-month sentence, police said.
On Thursday last week, Chiu was seen wearing a white shirt, looking disheveled and pacing around outside the station, when he discovered the drunk woman lying on the floor inside the main concourse.
Despite passengers rushing through the station during the middle of the day, he took the woman by the hand and dragged her to a quiet corner at about 4pm, where he assaulted her against the wall for 10 minutes in public view.
The man only stopped when spotted by a foreign tourist, who called the police.
Chiu fled the scene before police arrived, although they quickly tracked his whereabouts and arrested him.
The case has been transferred to the Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office for investigation.
Chiu was wanted by the Taoyuan Police Department after he stole a small truck that had been left with the key in the ignition.
He drove the truck to New Taipei City, where he also stole an electric scooter that he transported on the back of the stolen vehicle.
He failed to report to serve his six-month sentence and did not pay the court-imposed fines.
The Taoyuan District Prosecutors’ Office then issued a warrant for his arrest.
The incident has sparked public outrage, with many questioning how the man was able to commit the crime in the middle of the day in a busy concourse.
A police officer familiar with Taipei Railway Station said that the area is often filled with people seeking shelter, and it is not unusual to see drunk people beside the station’s main entrances or sleeping on the floor.
As Chiu reportedly looked disheveled and the woman was drunk, many passengers likely thought the two were homeless and knew each other, and therefore did not take notice or report the incident, they said.
Taipei Railway Station is regularly patrolled by police, but was particularly busy that day and that particular area was left unchecked, the Railway Police Bureau said.
Following the incident, police have increased patrols around the station to ensure public safety, it added.
In a joint statement, the Taipei Women’s Rescue Foundation and Judicial Reform Foundation called on the Taipei City Government to review monitoring and emergency response mechanisms in public spaces such as train stations, including installing emergency call buttons and clearly marking methods for reporting incidents.
The groups further urged the public not to share videos of the incident and for the media to refrain from using CCTV images to prevent secondary harm to the victim and inciting victim-blaming rhetoric.
Following incidents of sexual assault, the perpetrator, not the victim, should take the blame, they said.
Public comments on news reports and social media posts showed victim-blaming and circulation of sensitive images, perpetuating a culture that enables and sensationalizes gender-based violence, they said.
They called on social media companies to monitor the situation and remove harmful comments.
They also called on the government to educate the public on the importance of bystander intervention, such as shouting to draw attention, notifying on-site personnel and calling the police.
Additional reporting by CNA
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