Systemic failure exposed in Taichung as city councilors criticized the Education Bureau over sexual assault cases at a local elementary school. A school baseball coach previously convicted of 90 sexual offenses against 32 minors from 2019 to 2024 faced a third indictment. The Taichung District Prosecutors’ Office charged him with rape, forced indecency, and producing sexually explicit content involving minors. Prosecutors identified 19 more victims all younger than 14.
Mayor Lu Shiow-yen argued that some victims were duplicates from earlier reports. She claimed there was no cover-up or lapse in oversight. The city government intervened quickly after the case emerged, Lu said. The school received disciplinary action and its principal stepped down. The Taichung Legal Affairs Bureau is helping victims apply for compensation. Some cases have already succeeded in securing payments.
The Taichung Education Bureau reported 42 victims in the first and second indictment waves. The third wave added another 11 potential victims. Officials do not yet know if any are duplicates from earlier indictments. The DPP caucus in the Taichung City Council demanded proactive investigations. They called for holding officials accountable for oversight failures. They also demanded reforming background checks in schools.
Councilor Chou Yung-hong stated that the coach with a prior record continued working in schools for six years. This reflects a systemic failure within the education administration, Chou said. Disciplinary action for the school alone is not enough to address the problem. The Taichung District Court sentenced the coach, surnamed Sung, to prison terms ranging from three years six months to eight years six months last July. The combined sentence remains undetermined. The Taichung High Court upheld the verdict following an appeal.
Sung had a prior record from 2004. He received a two-year prison sentence for molesting three children. However, the court suspended the charges because he reached settlements with the victims. Sung served no time and never appeared on the Ministry of Education’s sexual offender list. The elementary school hired him in 2018 despite his prior conviction. Authorities must now review hiring practices and background check procedures. Victims continue to emerge as investigations proceed. The full scope of the abuse may never be known.
