The average number of foreign nationals who were sexual assaulted in Taiwan has started rising again, following a dip during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW) said in a report released after foreigner was sexually assaulted in a Taipei Railway Station concourse on Oct. 9.
Department of Protective Services deputy head Kuo Tsai-jung (郭采榕) said about 120 foreign nationals reported cases of sexual assault in Taiwan annually during the pandemic, but with the post-COVID-19 increase in foreign visitors, the number rose to 169 last year.
Department data showed there were 9,230 reports of sexual assault last year, including 8,138 Taiwanese non-indigenous nationals, 715 indigenous nationals, 33 nationals from China, Hong Kong or Macau, 169 foreign nationals and 175 people with missing information.
Photo: Taipei Times
Of the foreign nationals who reported being sexually assaulted last year, 11 were men, 157 were women and one was of unspecified gender.
Most of the victims, 49 people, were aged between 18 and 24, followed by people aged between 30 and 40 (43), those between 24 and 30 (37), and people aged between 40 and 50 (22).
Of those who were sexually assaulted last year, 25 were Indonesians, 22 were Filipinos, 21 were Vietnamese, three were Thais, one was Malaysian, and five were of other nationalities.
Thirty said they were at-home caregivers, 25 worked in manufacturing, three were domestic helpers, one was a residential facility caregiver, and 18 had other jobs.
In the first half of this year, 5,060 people reported being sexually assaulted, including 4,444 Taiwanese non-indigenous nationals, 409 indigenous nationals, 14 nationals of China, Hong Kong or Macau and 83 foreign nationals.
Kuo said the number of foreign nationals who were sexually assaulted in Taiwan had gone down during the pandemic — 129 people in 2021, 109 people in 2022 and 119 people in 2023 — but the number began increasing again last year, amid an increase in foreign visitors.
The ministry’s Sexual Images Processing Center has received a complaint regarding the video of a suspect assaulting a woman in a railway station, Kuo said, adding that it has asked social media platforms to remove those videos and related images.
If the companies do not remove such content within 24 hours after the local government gave the order, they would be fined between NT$60,000 and NT$600,000 (US$1,957 and US$19,573) per violation, and public access to the platform could be blocked, she said.
People who spread content regarding the assault without consent of the people involved could face up to five years imprisonment, Kuo said.
The department urges people not to download, reproduce, spread or share images or videos related to the case, she said, adding that people should also refrain from doxing or sharing the victim’s personal information.
National Police Agency Director-General Chang Jung-hsin (張榮興) on Thursday last week said the Railway Police Bureau, Taiwan Railway Corp and security guards have increased their patrol schedule at the railway station, increasing police visibility and watch points, to keep travelers safe.
Additional reporting by Lin Che-yuan
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