TAIPEI (TVBS News) — The Judicial Reform Foundation (民間司法改革基金會) urged the Legislative Yuan (立法院), Taiwan's parliament, Monday (Dec. 1) to prioritize reform bills on statute of limitations for childhood sexual assault survivors and victim compensation. The advocacy group criticized the Ministry of Justice (法務部) for delaying submission of proposed amendments announced in August. The Legislative Yuan currently has 14 proposed versions addressing childhood sexual abuse statute of limitations and three versions on crime victim compensation reforms.
Joseph Lin (林永頌), convener of the Judicial Reform Foundation, stressed the reforms should also address the Child and Youth Sexual Exploitation Prevention Act (兒少性剝削防制條例), the Civil Code (民法), and the Crime Victim Rights Protection Act (犯罪被害人權益保障法). Lin emphasized all victims must have opportunities for reasonable compensation. Democratic Progressive Party (DPP, 民進黨), Taiwan's ruling party, policy committee executive director Rosalia Wu (吳思瑤) stated perpetrators must not escape justice.
The Judicial Reform Foundation called on the Legislative Yuan to incorporate opinions from all sectors when promoting the legislation and protecting victims' rights through comprehensive legal frameworks. Advocacy groups urged lawmakers to prioritize and pass the reform bills within this legislative session, emphasizing Taiwan's constitutional and international obligations to protect children and victims. The foundation stressed that delayed action continues to deny justice to survivors awaiting legal recourse. ◼