Number of foreign nationals raped in Taiwan rises

Taipei, Oct. 21 (CNA) The number of rapes reported by foreign nationals in Taiwan rose to 169 last year from 119 in 2023, according to data from the Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW).

MOHW statistics show 164, 174, and 138 cases between 2017 and 2019, followed by 110, 129, and 109 cases during the COVID-19 pandemic from 2020 to 2022, and 119 cases in 2023.

Kuo Tsai-jung (郭彩榕), deputy head of the MOHW's Department of Protective Services, told CNA on Monday that the case numbers went down as the number of foreign nationals in Taiwan decreased during the pandemic.

As the epidemic eased and international interactions resumed, the numbers returned to the level before the pandemic hit, with no indication of them increasing beyond pre-COVID levels at this point, she said.

Among the foreign nationals reporting rapes last year, 157 were female, 11 male and one classified as other.

In terms of age, 49 of the victims were aged 18-24 years, 37 were 24-30 years old, 43 were 30-40 years old, 22 were aged 40-50 years, and 18 were in other age groups, according to the data.

Of the 77 foreign victims of sexual assault who recorded their nationalities, 25 were from Indonesia, 22 from the Philippines, 21 from Vietnam, 3 from Thailand, 1 from Malaysia and 5 from other countries, the data showed.

Among them, the majority worked as household caregivers or domestic help (over 31 individuals) or in the manufacturing industry (over 23 individuals).

While such cases accounted for only about 1-2 percent of the 9,230 rape cases reported in Taiwan in 2024, the government will not reduce its efforts to address them, Kuo said, adding that local support mechanisms such as domestic violence and sexual assault prevention centers would be activated to assist victims.

She emphasized a "zero-tolerance" attitude toward sexual assault, stating that everyone should be aware of rape prevention and actively report relevant cases.