Anti-Fraud Association Poll: Over 70% Support Referendum to Introduce Whipping for Fraud

(CNA) Taipei, July 2 (CNA) -- Fraud cases continue to emerge relentlessly. The Taiwan Civil Anti-Fraud Association stated today that a recent poll on whether to support the introduction of whipping as a penalty for fraud through a referendum showed that over 70% of the public agreed. Chairman Hsu Liang-yuan believes that public opinion should be allowed to be fully expressed through direct democracy mechanisms.

The Taiwan Civil Anti-Fraud Association held a press conference to announce the results of its "Make Anti-Fraud Effective! Government, Give Us Answers! Whipping Referendum Poll." The survey results revealed that 73.3% of respondents agreed to use a referendum to promote the use of whipping to combat fraud.

Hsu Liang-yuan stated that in the face of major fraud crimes, the public believes that criminal policies involving significant public interest and social security should allow public opinion to be fully expressed through direct democracy mechanisms.

The poll also showed that 84.7% of the public supports the government introducing whipping for serious crimes such as major fraud, child abuse, and sexual assault, or presenting a formal assessment report and legislative direction. Furthermore, 89.6% of the public believes that if the government is unwilling to introduce whipping due to human rights or constitutional concerns, it should propose alternative severe penalties with a deterrent effect.

Hsu Liang-yuan said that this poll reflects the deep-seated anxiety in society regarding the low cost of major crimes, insufficient judicial deterrence, and the gap in victim protection.

He stated that fraud crimes have been rampant in recent years, with constantly evolving methods. Many victims lose not only money but also their retirement savings, medical expenses, children's education resources, and even their sense of security in society and life. Fraud is no longer just an isolated criminal case but a major public safety issue affecting family stability, social trust, and national governance capabilities.

In addition, this poll also included the issue of drunk driving. The results showed that 96.7% of the public agrees that driving under the influence of drugs should not be treated as a mere traffic violation but as a major public safety hazard. 94.5% of the public supports increased criminal penalties, with drunk driving fatalities potentially punishable by life imprisonment or the death penalty, along with accompanying measures such as immediate vehicle confiscation.

KMT Legislator Liao Wei-hsiang stated that there are nearly 198,000 fraud cases annually, which are no longer simple property crimes but a systemic issue that severely erodes social trust.

Regarding subsequent legislative amendments, Liao Wei-hsiang also put forward four specific demands: the whipping referendum should be held as scheduled; the Ministry of Justice should publicly disclose sentencing, parole, recidivism, and asset recovery data for major fraud, drunk driving, child abuse, and sexual assault cases; the Judicial Yuan should explain the sentencing standards for major cases to allow society to examine whether they truly have a deterrent effect; and the Legislative Yuan should review the parole system for repeat fraud offenders and principal organizers.

He believes that legislative amendments for drunk driving should be comprehensive, including increased penalties, vehicle confiscation, heavier penalties for refusing tests, and preventative license suspension measures.

Law enforcement scholar Yu Yu-lan also stated that the judiciary should be a tool for the state to manifest justice, but the poll shows that 90.1% of the public believes that the verdicts in major fraud or drunk driving cases are far from the expectations of fairness and justice. The judiciary is severely out of touch with public opinion and cannot empathize with the suffering of the people. The government and judicial authorities should immediately undertake institutional reforms.

Su Chien-chou, a professor in the Department of Communication Management at Shih Hsin University, mentioned that this survey, with 1,000 valid samples from across Taiwan, conveys three messages: public opinion demands that the government actively respond to the whipping issue, leaving no room for avoiding reform; drunk driving has become a major public safety issue, indicating that society expects stricter systems to protect people's lives and safety; and judicial credibility is being tested, and the government should face public opinion squarely to rebuild public trust in the judiciary.

Chang Kuang-ming, director of the Department of Crime Prevention at Ming Chuan University, reminded that whipping involves controversies of cruelty, inhumanity, or torture. The high public support rate of 84.7% may be related not only to traditional thinking of severe penalties but also to the fear of crime triggered by recent drunk driving incidents and media reports. The government should consider this an important issue for crime prevention and judicial communication.

This survey was conducted via telephone interviews with individuals aged 20 and above in all 22 counties and cities nationwide. The survey period was from June 23 to 24 this year, with 1,000 valid samples. At a 95% confidence level, the sampling error is approximately plus or minus 3.1 percentage points. The main themes of the survey were public attitudes towards criminal penalties for major crimes, the whipping referendum, alternative severe penalties, drunk driving public safety issues, and judicial trust. (Editor: Chang Ming-kun) 1150702

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