After a briefing on results and strategies for the protection of crime victims at today's Cabinet meeting, Premier Jiang Yi-huah said that in recent years, the Ministry of Justice (MOJ) has promoted relevant legal amendments, broadened the range of people receiving protection, increased financial compensation for victims and created a new assistance fund.
The premier said the official response to the Guang Da Xing No. 28 fishing boat incident earlier this year, in which a Taiwanese citizen was killed when his fishing boat was shot by a Philippine coast guard vessel, was an example of the current victim protection system in action. "The government compensated the victims as quickly as possible and helped them and their family members to swiftly bring their lives back to normal," he stated.
The Crime Victim Protection Act was enacted in 1998 to provide a system for such protection. It has issued a total of NT$1.7 billion (US$56.1 million) in compensation to 5,265 people so far, and officials say it has played a significant role in maintaining social stability.
"Crimes can inflict damage in many ways, and the Legislature and different sectors of society have made many recommendations on how to assist victims," noted the premier. He instructed the MOJ to continue reviewing the Crime Victim Protection Act, collaborate with other agencies to push forward each item in the government program to further increase such protection, and strengthen services for victims and their families so that everyone will be covered by Taiwan's social safety net and victims can quickly move on and return to their normal lifestyles.