Taiwanese woman ordered to pay $6,000 for cursing ex-son-in-law

A woman in Taiwan must pay $6,000 in damages for verbally abusing and cursing her former son-in-law.

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garbage person, garbage is garbage

The court ordered the ex-mother-in-law, identified as Mrs. Lai, to pay the sum after she repeatedly insulted the man, identified as Mr. Ke, a construction site supervisor. The conflict arose when Mr. Ke visited his two minor children, who live with his ex-wife and her mother.

During one visit in March 2022, Mrs. Lai allegedly yelled "garbage person" and "everyone look at this garbage" at Mr. Ke in the community courtyard. On another occasion in May 2022, she allegedly threw rice at his car and cursed him, wishing him death in a car accident. Mr. Ke sued for 300,000 New Taiwan dollars (about $9,200) for defamation and emotional distress.

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everyone look at this garbage

The court dismissed the claim related to the rice-throwing incident, citing insufficient evidence and the unreliability of young children's memories. However, it found Mrs. Lai's verbal insults, particularly "don't be shameless" recorded by police at the scene, constituted a significant infringement on Mr. Ke's reputation and caused him emotional distress. Considering the financial situations of both parties, the judge deemed 6,000 New Taiwan dollars (about $185) a fair compensation.

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don't be shameless