Luzhou Stalker to Serve 3-Month Sentence, 5-Year Guardianship for Prior Case, New Taipei Prosecutors Say

(CNA, New Taipei, May 21) A man surnamed You from Luzhou, New Taipei, was arrested in late April for stalking a female high school student and assaulting her grandmother and the local village chief. The New Taipei District Prosecutors Office stated today that You had been sentenced to a 3-month prison term and a 5-year custodial protection order for a separate assault case from 2023, which will be executed swiftly to ensure public safety. On the afternoon of April 28, an 18-year-old female high school student in Luzhou District, New Taipei City, was stalked by You on her way home from school. The student called her grandmother for help. When the grandmother waited in the community and tried to intervene, she was beaten by You, suffering severe injuries including a broken nose and a ruptured liver, and was rushed to the hospital. The village chief who also tried to intervene was assaulted as well. Fortunately, other bystanders managed to subdue the attacker. Police arrived, arrested You, and transferred him to the prosecutors for investigation. After questioning, prosecutors determined You was suspected of committing offenses including serious injury, assault, and violations of the Stalking and Harassment Prevention Act, and their request for his detention was approved. It is understood that this was not You's first offense, as he has committed multiple sexual harassment cases against underage girls in the Luzhou area since September 2023. The New Taipei District Prosecutors Office pointed out today that You was convicted in a separate case from 2023 for assault and coercion. On May 19 of this year, the Taiwan High Court sentenced him to a 3-month prison term, to be followed by 5 years of custodial protection in a suitable facility, a sentence which is now final. Prosecutors will execute the sentence as soon as the relevant procedures are complete, and the custodial protection will follow the completion of his prison term. Prosecutors added that if they deem an extension necessary before the custodial protection period expires, they can apply to the court for an extension. The first extension can be for up to 3 years, and subsequent extensions for up to 1 year each, to ensure social safety.