The number of reported sexual assault of minors in schools and other institutions in Taiwan has been increasing over the past 11 years, according to the Control Yuan.

Citing a year-long investigation it conducted into the issue, the Control Yuan said the number of sexual assault cases reported each year on school campuses and at youth placement facilities had climbed steadily since 2009 to 10,334 in 2020.

The 10,334 cases involved 9,212 alleged victims, 64.9 percent of whom were underage youths, three Control Yuan members said at a news conference on Aug. 30.

The data was compiled during a recent Control Yuan investigation of 17 serious cases of alleged sexual assault of minors between 2009 and 2020, said Chi Hui-jung (???), Yeh Ta-hua (???) and Wang Mei-yu (???).

The Control Yuan investigation into the 17 cases found that 11 of them had occurred in schools, and six at youth placement facilities, with the alleged perpetrators being teachers, coaches and other staff members in 13 cases, Wang said.

The investigation also found that not only sexual assault, but also reports of sexual harassment and sexual bullying cases were on the rise in schools in Taiwan, she said.

Meanwhile, Yeh said statistics from the Ministry of Health and Welfare showed that in the period 2005-2020, the number of male victims under 18 had increased, while minors of indigenous heritage had been targeted more frequently than those in other ethnic groups.

Chi also noted that existing laws do not offer sufficient protection for people who report such cases in schools and other institutions.

Many of those who report allegations of sexual assault usually encounter heavy peer pressure, are deemed troublemakers, or fear being transferred or forced to retire, Chi said.

Furthermore, Yeh said, there are no proper laws in Taiwan for oversight of social media, a prime platform for interactions that can lead to sexual abuse of minors.

There is also a lack of training among school staff to follow up on reports of sexual abuse of minors, according to Wang.

She said experienced teachers are reluctant to deal with such cases, and because of a lack of funds, it is difficult to train a pool of staff members who would be able to handle those reports in schools and youth placement facilities.

The three Control Yuan members called for better education to improve public awareness of sexual assault of minors, for cooperation across all sectors to devise effective preventative measures, and for regular review of the relevant policies.

Source: Focus Taiwan News Channel