Tainan Officials in Court Over Dispute; One Ordered to Pay Damages for Defamation

A dispute between two colleagues at a Tainan land administration office has led to a court battle, culminating in a ruling against one of the officials for defamation.

The case involved a master's degree holder, identified by the surname Lin, who sued his colleague, a surveying assistant surnamed Yang. Lin accused Yang of verbally abusing him with a derogatory term and then falsely claiming to other colleagues and superiors that Lin had assaulted him. Lin sought 300,000 New Taiwan dollars in damages, citing infringement of his personal rights and reputation.

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you are a beast

The incident reportedly occurred on the afternoon of September 26, 2024. Lin alleged that Yang first insulted him and then, after a slight physical contact as Lin turned, Yang loudly accused him of hitting him. Yang also allegedly spread these claims among colleagues, portraying Lin as violent.

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Why did you hit me?

Yang, however, claimed he had spoken the insult softly and not directly at Lin. He admitted to telling colleagues and superiors that Lin had hit him, but stated he was merely relaying his perception of the physical contact and did not intend to harm Lin's reputation. Yang had previously received a demerit for the incident.

The Tainan District Court reviewed the evidence and found insufficient proof for most of Lin's claims. However, the court did establish that Yang had made false statements to colleagues about Lin initiating physical assault. This false accusation was deemed to have negatively impacted Lin's reputation, leading the court to order Yang to pay 30,000 NT dollars in compensation. The ruling is subject to appeal.

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Lin initiated the assault.