TAIPEI (TVBS News) — The father of a 17-year-old girl who took her own life last year following alleged sexual assault by her McDonald's supervisor in Taipei has vowed to appeal to Taiwan's High Prosecutors Office (高等檢察署), a higher-level prosecutorial authority. His determination comes after a controversial decision by prosecutors at the Shilin District Prosecutors Office (士林地檢署), a local prosecutorial body, who concluded on April 7 that insufficient evidence existed to indict the supervisor, sparking outrage among victim advocates across the island.
The grieving father, identified as Mr. Lin, challenged the prosecutors' reasoning on Friday (April 18), which determined no significant power imbalance existed between the adult supervisor and his teenage daughter, effectively classifying their interaction as consensual. Lin forcefully rejected this characterization, insisting his daughter had never engaged in a romantic relationship with her supervisor and had actively resisted his unwanted advances, experiences that allegedly contributed to severe psychological distress preceding her suicide.
Lin further condemned prosecutors for questioning the credibility of his daughter's testimony based on discrepancies in her accounts of how many times she was assaulted. "This is abnormal!" he exclaimed, visibly frustrated by what he perceives as institutional insensitivity. He implored Taiwan's judicial authorities to recognize the psychological barriers that prevent many sexual assault victims from immediately documenting evidence or providing perfectly consistent testimony, factors that frequently undermine sexual assault prosecutions.
As the determined father prepares his formal appeal to higher authorities, he expressed hope that Taiwan's judiciary would reconsider the case and ultimately provide justice for his family's devastating loss. The tragic death of the teenager last December, following what her family describes as repeated sexual assaults at her McDonald's workplace, has ignited intense public debate and widespread discussion across Taiwanese social media platforms about workplace harassment and the challenges of prosecuting sexual assault cases.
>>> If you or someone you know is experiencing a mental health crisis, call 1995 to reach Taiwan's Suicide Prevention Line. Additional support is available through the Peace of Mind Line at 1925, operated under the Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW, Taiwan's national health authority), or the Teacher Chang Foundation at 1980, a prominent Taiwanese mental health nonprofit organization.
