EDITORIAL: Lessons from alleged abuse caseA preschool teacher in Taipei’s Xinyi District (信義) was indicted in August last year on charges of alleged sexual assault and offenses of forced obscenity against six girls. Parents reported the first suspected case to the authorities in July 2022. After more parents accused him of sexual abuse, prosecutors indicted and detained Mao in July last year — a year after the first case was reported. There has been a public outcry, because the Taipei City Government seemed to have quickly dismissed the case in 2022, while prosecutors were still investigating it, allowing Mao to continue teaching. Moreover, the case is also a reminder for parents and schools to reconsider when they should start teaching children about the difference between appropriate and inappropriate touching to prevent sexual abuse.
