TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Taiwan Vice President Lai Ching-te and various Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) members apologized on Thursday (June 1) following the exposure of an unaddressed sexual harassment case reported by a former party worker earlier this week.
Lai acknowledged the DPP's failure to handle the case "promptly and properly," causing "a lot of suffering to the people involved."
"I apologize to all involved and the Taiwanese community," Lai said Thursday (June 1).
The former DPP worker had recounted her ordeal on Facebook, explaining that after receiving unwanted sexual advances from a distinguished director under contract with the DPP, she reported the incident to her supervisor. However, she was subjected to victim-blaming and dissuaded from taking her complaints further.
The woman quoted her then supervisor, (former) DPP Department of Women's Development Director Hsu Chia-tien, who she said "coldly" responded, "What do you want me to do?" after she explained the situation.
Lin Fei-fan, the then-supervisor of the Department of Women's Development, also came under fire after the incident. He explained when he caught wind of it; he was informed the accuser had decided not to pursue the complaint.
"However, we failed to consider the possible underlying reasons for this decision," Lin conceded.
"It is our sincere hope that everyone will honor the privacy of the individual involved and refrain from engaging in personal or political attacks against her."
Following the bombshell post, Hsu was suspended and forced to step down from her position, but many criticized the action as coming too little too late.
As the 2024 presidential election nears, the DPP's handling of the situation will be heavily scrutinized by all voters.
