Taiwan: Child-sex Offenders to Feel Force of Law

Published in the The Asian Times
May 15 - 21, 1999

TAIPEI - Taiwanese parliament has passed a new law to convict child sex tourists. The law provides for prison terms of between three and 10 years for anyone having sex with girls aged under 14. Those who have sex with girls aged between 14-16 could be jailed for up to seven years. Names and photographs of offenders will also be made public in government bulletins.

Also under the new law, newspaper executives and broadcasters convicted of putting out advertisements or commercials for those offering sexual services face up to NT $600,000 ($18,103) in fines. However, the law does not mention sex offences against boys.

About 35 per cent of male Taiwanese tourists had paid for sex at least once during travels abroad, according to Lee Li-Feng of the End Child Prostitution Association in Taiwan. Their main destinations are the mainland, the Philippines, Vietnam and Thailand. Underage girls are preferred because Taiwanese believe they are less prone to venereal diseases.
(The Asian Times, May 15 - 21, 1999)