Hualien Government Ethics Official Accused of Sexual Harassment; Victim Says He Tried to Pay NT$100,000 to Suppress Case

In a case involving sexual harassment and molestation by a director surnamed Liu from the Hualien County Government's Ethics Office, the victim, 'Xiao Mei' (a pseudonym), issued a statement through her friend Peng Yuru. The statement condemned Director Liu for showing no remorse and attempting to suppress the matter by offering NT$100,000 through his wife, causing her psychological pressure and harm.

According to Peng Yuru, Xiao Mei was extremely frightened after the incident and sought her help to discuss what to do. As the media published the news without warning, facing numerous rumors, Xiao Mei entrusted Peng to issue a statement on her behalf to explain the incident, her thoughts, and feelings.

The statement said that during a business trip on the 18th of last month, Director Liu arranged for them to stay in the same twin room. Xiao Mei repeatedly refused and offered to pay for a separate room herself. However, as she was about to leave, Liu forcibly stopped her, hugged her, pushed her down, and subjected her to inappropriate touching and assault.

Xiao Mei pointed out that the incident has caused her severe psychological trauma, plunging her into prolonged fear, insomnia, and self-blame. She believes the supervisor's actions constitute workplace sexual harassment and sexual violence involving an abuse of power, as well as serious mismanagement within the civil service system.

The statement noted that to date, Director Liu has not expressed any public apology or remorse, has repeatedly sought a private settlement to hush up the matter, and immediately applied for retirement to evade responsibility. Even the director's wife tried to pay NT$100,000 to suppress the incident, causing Xiao Mei even greater psychological pressure and harm.

The statement said that silence will not make the harm disappear; only by bravely speaking out can the next victim be prevented. Therefore, she will pursue the matter through legal proceedings to the end, will not tolerate or back down, and hopes the judiciary will clarify the truth, expose the perpetrator's wrongdoing, and let society know that any act of harming others must come with a price.

After the incident was reported by the news, Xiao Mei learned that Director Liu had a history of sexually harassing women. She believes that the supervisory authority, the Agency Against Corruption under the Ministry of Justice, has a responsibility to investigate her case and all potential cases according to law, handle them fairly, and review past complaints against the director. She stressed that the agency must not protect its own, must not let the system become an umbrella for shielding perpetrators, and must not allow similar past incidents to be suppressed.

Xiao Mei stated that Director Liu is a civil servant with nearly 30 years of service, holding a high-ranking and powerful position with a substantial pension. He must be severely punished, and the response must not be 'much thunder but little rain.'

In response to media reports about a possible sexual harassment and molestation case involving an ethics officer in Hualien County, the Agency Against Corruption stated on the 3rd that upon receiving the report, it immediately instructed the relevant agency to transfer the accused from his post and handle the matter strictly and severely.

The Hualien County Government also issued a statement on the 3rd, stating that it had instructed the Ethics Department and the Personnel Department to initiate relevant procedures according to their authority. The accused was transferred from his duties immediately after the incident to avoid affecting workplace safety and the subsequent investigation, and assistance and care were provided to the complainant.