34 National Compensation Claims Filed in Case of Taichung Elementary School Baseball Coach Accused of Abusing Students

(CNA, Taichung, June 24) A baseball coach at an elementary school in Taichung has been accused of abusing multiple students. The second wave of cases resulted in a first-instance sentence of 19 years. The Taichung City Education Bureau announced today that, as of now, a total of 34 national compensation claim forms have been received. Of these, 23 have reached an agreement, and the remaining cases are being processed according to relevant procedures.

Mr. Song was accused of abusing his position of trust as a baseball coach at an elementary school in Taichung since 2018, committing acts of sexual assault and indecent assault against minors. In the first and second instances, he was sentenced to prison terms ranging from 3 years and 6 months to 8 years and 6 months for 90 counts. Song also committed 22 offenses against 10 students. The Taichung District Court today handed down a first-instance sentence of 19 years of combined punishment, which is subject to appeal.

Chou Yung-hung, the convener of the Democratic Progressive Party caucus in the Taichung City Council, stated that the disciplinary action in this case only reached the school level, with no one from the Education Bureau held responsible. Mayor Lu Shiow-yen claimed that "no negligence was found." The Control Yuan has formally issued a reprimand, pointing out severe supervisory negligence by the Education Bureau, even agreeing to re-hire the implicated coach whose license had expired. The Control Yuan explicitly refuted the use of systemic loopholes as an excuse to shift administrative responsibility from the city government and the school.

Chou Yung-hung pointed out that while the judicial process has led to heavy sentencing, the administrative responsibility of the city government remains unclear. Mayor Lu Shiow-yen, who has repeatedly called for severe sentences, should first take responsibility and provide an explanation to the victimized children and their parents.

The Education Bureau stated in a press release that it continues to assist the victimized students and is comprehensively strengthening the management mechanisms for school sports teams and clubs. Maintaining student safety and their right to education is the most important responsibility. In the future, the bureau will continue to improve relevant systems and management measures to create a safe and friendly learning environment and prevent similar incidents from happening again. (Editor: Hsiao Po-wen) 1150624

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