The Reporter, one of Taiwan’s leading independent news outlets, broke new ground with its investigation into decades of concealed sexual abuse in Taiwan’s elementary schools, revealing how victims themselves — not officials or advocacy groups — finally brought a serial predator to justice.
The investigation centers on Liu Yu-cheng (劉育成), a former elementary school principal in Nantou County who sexually abused students across four schools over three decades. Unlike previous scandals exposed by NGOs or politicians, Liu’s crimes came to light when adult survivors connected online in 2023, conducting their own evidence-gathering campaign.
Chuang Chun-ching (莊純青), abused by Liu in sixth grade, led the grassroots investigation. “Confronting these cases is also a way for me to heal my wounds,” she told The Reporter. Using Facebook and graduation yearbooks, the survivors identified 36 victims and witnesses, creating detailed files and chronologies that enabled authorities to launch their first comprehensive investigation.
The case exposes systemic failures in the past to protect children in Taiwan’s schools. When two girls reported Liu in 2003, school officials buried their complaints. Liu cultivated relationships with local politicians who shielded him from consequences, allowing the abuse to continue unchecked. The Reporter‘s investigation revealed similar patterns nationwide, including the case of Chang Po-Sheng (張博勝), a Tainan teacher who abused 30 students but received only a four-year sentence. The 2023 Gender Equity Education Act introduced reforms requiring thorough investigations, but statutes of limitations still prevent prosecution of many cases where victims speak out decades later.
Of 29 identified victims in Liu’s case, only four could pursue legal action due to time limits. Liu received a 15-year sentence, currently under appeal.
