Woman in Sept. priority seat brawl indicted for 2024 MRT umbrella attack

Taipei, Nov. 10 (CNA) A woman in her 70s whose violent confrontation over a Taipei Metro priority seat went viral in September was indicted Monday for attacking a priority seat-using father and daughter with an umbrella in 2024.

The woman, surnamed Tseng (曾), was charged with causing bodily harm to a minor over the umbrella attack, the Taipei District Prosecutors Office said in a statement.

In the indictment, prosecutors said Tseng was riding on the Taipei Metro's Orange Line toward Minquan West Road Station at around 1:30 p.m. on Feb. 4 last year, when she asked a man sitting with his young daughter to give up their priority seat.

When the man refused, Tseng took her umbrella and struck the young girl on the leg, leaving her with a bruise, the indictment said.

After the girl's father, surnamed Lee (李), filed a police report, Tseng failed to comply with multiple summonses for questioning.

Prosecutors later issued a warrant for Tseng's arrest, leading to her indictment Monday for intentional injury to a child by an adult under the Child and Youth Welfare Act.

Tseng was previously in the news over a viral video in September in which she hit a young man with her tote bag for refusing to give up a priority seat.

The man then stood up and kicked Tseng, sending her flying across the carriage into a seat on the other side, video footage of the incident showed.

Days later, the police were called on Tseng for causing a commotion in a convenience store on Yanping North Road, leading to her arrest on an outstanding warrant for larceny.

The case was referred to Shilin District prosecutors, who have yet to press charges.