KMT Legislators Propose Referendum on Caning to Deter Serious Crimes

The Legislative Yuan's Procedure Committee met today to set the agenda for the plenary sessions from May 29 to June 2. Following a vote, the agenda draft was submitted to the plenary session for processing. Notably, the discussion items include a referendum proposal for "introducing caning" submitted by KMT legislator Hung Meng-kai and 52 others, aiming to deter ongoing crimes. The proposal states that sexual assault, child abuse, high-value fraud, and complex aggravated fraud have severely infringed upon personal autonomy, the physical and mental well-being of children, and public property security. It questions whether the current criminal sanction system is sufficient to respond to social expectations for justice and public safety, arguing that it is necessary to let the public express their opinions. The proposed referendum question is: "Do you agree that the government should enact a law to establish a special criminal system (caning) for sexual assault, child abuse, high-value fraud, and complex aggravated fraud, to be declared by the court and executed according to law, in order to deter ongoing crimes?" During the Procedure Committee meeting, the Taiwan People's Party caucus proposed submitting the agenda draft to the plenary session. With the KMT and TPP holding a majority, the motion passed.