Department of Information and Tourism, Taipei City Government

An Endeared Comfort for the Unfortunate A One-stop Service for the Victim of Sexual Abuse

By Ms. Chiang Xing Hui, director of Domestic and Sex Abuse Prevention Center

“I don't realize where I was; all I remembered was after taking the drinks from friends…and was awaken only to find I was in the hotel room…my family accompanied to hospital, medical staff told me the detail of my checkup and police report procedure, after then I went to see the police, social worker, prosecutor also came to the hospital and told me after note-taking that he would try to minimize the frequencies of my appearing in the court; all those around me ,like my family member, advised me to take a good rest and in case I needed any help, they were ready to help…”

Since 2001, Taipei City took the lead in launching the measure of “minimizing the repeated statements of the sexual abuse victims”, the worries and fears of the victims have been effectively reduced. To provide better service for such victims and eliminate the shuttles between different agencies, Taipei City further pioneered the One-Stop Service for the victims in June, 2008. By the end of 2009, Zhong Xiao, Yang Ming and Branch for Women and Children joined the service, among them Zhong Xiao Branch even won the honor of Merit of Domestic and Sexual Abuse Prevention Award. Starting from February 1, Heping, Zhong Xing, Ren Ai and Municipal Wan Fang Hospitals as well as police and prosecutor authorities provided One-Stop Service. Under this One-Stop Service, hospitals provide a victim-friendly wound checkup and evidence collecting environment where police, social workers and prosecutors will undertake their respective interview and note-taking in the same room, thus reducing the trouble for the victims to busy shuttling among different agencies and repeated statement.

According to statistics, in the year of 2009, 49 victims were benefited from this One-Stop Service, about 12.4% out of the 395 cases reported. Among 50 victims, 8 victims (16.3%) were under the age of 12; 25 victims (51.0%) were between the age of 12 and 18, and 16 victims (32.7%) are above the age of 18. Most victims agreed that the attitude of police, medical personnel, social workers and prosecutors was quite friendly, procedure of service was quite smooth; note-taking and question were under friendly and private environment, reducing the anxiety and fears of the victims. On average, the time for the whole procedure is reduced two hours. Victims and their family feel comfortable to the service.

Taipei Mayor Hau Lung Bin calls for victims to keep all evidence once sexual abuse takes place, and go immediately to municipal hospitals to seek assistance, the hospitals will activate the one-stop service in no time so that police, social workers, medical personnel and prosecutors will offer their service in a safe, comfortable environment in their respective effort to fulfill the Victim-oriented service. It is earnest hope that under the joint efforts of ministry of justice, office of the prosecutor, and all departments of the municipal government including police, health, social welfare , a life space of “zero violence, zero abuse” can be achieved.