New taipei: The Control Yuan has censured the New Taipei City Government for failing to prevent a sex offender from operating a Go class, where he was convicted of molesting 12 children. The man, identified by his surname Lee, is currently in custody awaiting a retrial after the Supreme Court referred the case back to the Taiwan High Court. Last October, the High Court sentenced him to 21 years in prison for the offenses committed at an unlicensed Go class.
According to Focus Taiwan, Lee's criminal history only became known when the New Taipei District Court sentenced him to 22 years in March of the previous year. The district court's ruling disclosed that Lee had previously served time in 2010 for sexually assaulting a 14-year-old and another individual. Released in 2014, Lee underwent four years of mandated rehabilitation, ending in 2018, which led to a Control Yuan investigation into the city government's actions.
The Control Yuan report, conducted by members Chi Hui-jung, Yeh Ta-hua, and Chang Chu-fang, highlighted the city's negligence in community oversight and risk evaluation of sex offenders. It also pointed out failures in inter-departmental coordination to prevent further offenses. The report stated that Lee had been illegally operating the Go class in Tucheng District since 2019, even while he was on a government monitoring list requiring police visits until June 2021.
New Taipei authorities were unaware of Lee's activities until parents alerted them in August 2024, the report noted. The Tucheng Police Precinct had no record of any visits to Lee's residence after March 21, 2021, and he began molesting students from April 2021, as revealed at a Control Yuan press conference.
The Control Yuan also identified flaws in New Taipei City's reporting mechanism, which subjected victims and their parents to a lengthy 13-hour interview process. They were required to recount their experiences multiple times at various locations, including police stations, hospitals, and the Women and Children Protection Brigade.
In response, the city government told CNA that the Education Department, along with police, inspected Lee's cram school the day after receiving reports in 2024. They seized evidence, imposed a fine, and ordered the suspension of operations. An official from the city Social Welfare Department stated that after the statutory monitoring period ends, there is no legal authority for further action.
The official added that a 2023 amendment to the Sexual Assault Crime Prevention Act now allows authorities to resume intervention if a risk of reoffending is assessed. The legislation mandates psychological treatment, counseling, and introduces electronic monitoring, strengthening the supervision of sex offenders.