The Legislative Yuan yesterday passed the Stalking and Harassment Prevention Act (跟蹤騷擾防制法), which makes stalking a crime that is punishable by up to five years in prison.
The bill focuses on eight major kinds of stalking and harassment behaviors that repeatedly target a victim against their will: surveillance and monitoring, stalking and tailing, threatening and insulting, harassment through electronic communications, unwanted advances, anonymously sending mail, slander, and identity theft.
After the police receive reports of such behavior, they can initiate an investigation, arrest suspects and advise a court to detain them, the Ministry of the Interior said in a news release.
Police can issue written warnings and if they find that a suspect has committed the crime again, they can ask a court to issue a protective order for the victim, it said.
The court can detain suspects as a preventive measure if they are found in possession of weapons or dangerous items, or are considered likely to commit the same crime again, it said.
Offenders would face a jail term of less than one year or a fine of NT$100,000. If they are found in possession of a weapon or other dangerous items, their penalty can be increased to five years in jail or a fine of up to NT$500,000, it said.
Photo: Liao Chen-huei, Taipei Times
Those who contravene a court-issued protective order for a victim would face a prison term of up to three years or a fine of NT$300,000, it added.
The law is to be implemented six months after it is promulgated, the ministry said.
Minister of the Interior Hsu Kuo-yung (徐國勇) in the statement thanked lawmakers, as well as civic groups, for their efforts in pushing for the bill’s passage over the past six years.
The bill makes stalking and harassment crimes, as in many other countries, the ministry said.
To hasten the implementation of the act, the ministry would soon complete training for police officers nationwide, as well as set up regulations related to the bill, it said.
The ministry would also present assessment reports on the act’s efficiency three years after it is implemented to keep improving social safety, it said.
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