Taichung Baseball Coach Molestation Case: Control Yuan Censures School and Education Bureau

(CNA) A baseball coach at a Taichung elementary school committed 90 counts of forced molestation against dozens of students. The Control Yuan recently censured the Taichung City Education Bureau and the school involved. While Taichung Mayor Lu Shiow-yen argued that the Control Yuan failed to address issues regarding the 'clean criminal record certificate' system, Control Yuan members stated today that the core of the censure lies in the school and the Education Bureau's failure to implement mandatory vetting and supervision. Control Yuan members Chi Hui-jung and Wang Li-chen stated on the 22nd that investigations revealed the school failed to check for the perpetrator's history of molestation, and the Education Bureau showed clear negligence in supervising the reporting and inquiry of unsuitable personnel. The members emphasized that a clean criminal record certificate is only a preliminary check and not the sole standard. Although the coach's certificate appeared clean due to the expiration of his probation, the school had a legal 'duty of substantive comparison' to verify his criminal record through administrative channels. Relying solely on the certificate to waive vetting responsibilities is illegal. Furthermore, the Education Bureau failed to implement reporting protocols and continued to employ the coach even after his license expired, reflecting administrative failures.