Legislature expands 'preemptive detention' for sexual crimes against minors

Taipei, April 17 (CNA) The Legislature passed an amendment on Friday expanding "preemptive detention" to include suspects involved in the sexual exploitation of minors, the homicide of young children, fraud and drunk driving as stipulated in the Criminal Code, among other offenses.

The expansion of the grounds for preemptive detention -- intended to prevent reoffending -- followed a Judicial Yuan amendment, which was consolidated with various versions from lawmakers across the political spectrum.

The cross-party proposals for Article 101-1 of the Code of Criminal Procedure shared a common focus on crimes related to images of child and youth sexual exploitation.

Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Chen Pei-yu (陳培瑜) said she initiated the amendment in response to the rising number of cases involving the reproduction, distribution, and possession of sexually exploitative images of minors.

The version proposed by the Taiwan People's Party highlighted the growing severity of fraud, in addition to the issues of child and youth sexual images and organized crime that the party said have worsened over the years.

Kuomintang Legislator Wu Tsung-hsien (吳宗憲) argued in his version that expanding "preemptive detention" is necessary to safeguard potential victims and would facilitate the investigative process.

The expansion covers the homicide of children under the age of seven, offenses involving abuse and obstruction of an adolescence's well-being, and offenses involving sexual images, such as distributing sexual images for public viewing, producing fake sexual images, and aggravated crimes in the same category.

It also covers fraud and drunk driving offenses punishable under the Criminal Code -- cases referred for criminal prosecution -- rather than those categorized as administrative violations under the Road Traffic Management and Penalty Act.