Taichung Elementary School Baseball Coach Sexual Assault Case: Mayor Lu Shiow-yen States Victim Count Has Duplicates, Absolutely No Cover-up

The man surnamed Song is accused of abusing the trust of minors and committing sexual assault and forced indecency against them since 2018. According to the first two waves of indictments by the Taiwan Taichung District Prosecutors Office, Song committed forced sexual intercourse, forced indecency, and opportunistic indecency against minors under 14 years old 90 times between 2019 and 2024, with dozens of students victimized and 40 sexual images, leading to charges of forced indecency and other crimes. A third wave of indictments recently added more victims. Lu Shiow-yen stated today in an interview before the Taichung City Council regular meeting that after the incident, the city government actively intervened to provide counseling, and the Legal Affairs Bureau assisted in applying for national compensation, with some cases already successful. The Education Bureau provided psychological counseling to students. She expressed deep sorrow over the case and hoped for severe punishment to bring justice to the children. Lu Shiow-yen mentioned that because the school did not legally inquire about the identity of the hired teaching staff for suitability in an educational setting, the Education Bureau immediately intervened after the incident, leading to disciplinary action against the school and the principal's resignation. She emphasized, 'There was no situation where we were unaware, and absolutely no cover-up.' The court is still deliberating, and if there are other illegalities or new evidence, there will be no leniency. Regarding the various claims about the number of victims, Lu Shiow-yen said that the prosecution issued three waves of indictments, and there were overlaps in the first and second waves. After receiving the third wave of indictments, relevant data will be compiled, as some people added up all the numbers without deducting duplicates, so the victim count is not what the public imagines. According to the Taichung City Education Bureau's special report on the 'Baseball Coach Involved in Campus Gender Incident Investigation and Related Counseling and Improvement Measures,' administrative investigations identified 42 individuals, and the third wave of judicial investigation added 11 individuals. The Education Bureau is still clarifying whether there are duplicate victims with the first two waves. The DPP Taichung City Council caucus held a press conference today, proposing three major demands: the city government should proactively expand investigations instead of passively waiting for the prosecution, to confirm if there are still undiscovered victims. The Education Bureau should hold internal accountability for its supervisory negligence. The city government should propose a systemic reform plan for campus hiring verification. Caucus convener Chou Yung-hung questioned that a coach with a criminal record stayed in Taichung schools for six years and harmed multiple children, which is not just a single school's oversight but a systemic failure of the educational administration system. He argued that punishment should not be limited to the school, and the Education Bureau should not remain aloof, nor should it simply move on after minor reprimands. (Edited by Li Shu-hua) 1150407