Taipei MRT sexual offense cases rise; city government to study banning repeat offenders

Taipei City Councilor Miao Poya raised concerns during a city council session about a significant rise in sexual offense cases on the Taipei MRT system, citing police data that shows a year-on-year increase since Mayor Chiang Wan-an assumed office. She presented statistics indicating a jump from 87 cases in 2023 to 144 cases in the current year, with major transfer stations like Taipei Main Station and Zhongxiao Fuxing Station identified as hotspots.

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Taipei Metro should communicate horizontally with the police department, at least establish data statistics to compare.

Miao Poya urged the city government to implement a policy of refusing service to repeat offenders on public transport, including buses, to prevent the system from becoming a "paradise for predators." She pointed out that over the past decade, 44 individuals have repeatedly committed offenses such as sexual harassment and indecent exposure on the MRT, with one individual having 10 prior offenses and another re-offending three times in just three months.

In contrast, data provided by the MRT company showed a decrease in cases. MRT General Manager Huang Ching-hsin suggested this might be due to increased ridership and crowding, leading to more incidents. He assured that the company has a zero-tolerance policy for sexual offenses and reports any passenger complaints.

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We will study whether to refuse service to repeat offenders with a cautious attitude, to avoid controversy.

Mayor Chiang Wan-an acknowledged the discrepancy between the police and MRT data, promising to investigate the reasons behind the increase in reported cases. He agreed to research Miao Poya's proposal to ban repeat offenders, stating that a decision would be made within a month. He also emphasized the need for better cross-departmental communication and data comparison between the MRT company and the police department.

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Is it that if the case is reported to the police, the MRT does not need to know about sexual harassment cases that occur in its own venue?