Shocked by her refusal to wear COVID-19 mask 3 years ago, Singapore woman sues Taiwan police

JAKARTA – The trauma of being reprimanded and beaten for failing to wear a mask during the COVID-19 pandemic has prompted Singaporean women to report the actions of Taiwanese police.

Although the case dates back three years, the woman surnamed Xu still filed a complaint. The inaugural trial related to the case was held on Tuesday, July 2.

According to Taiwan’s ETtoday newspaper, Xu sued Taiwanese police for deliberately committing acts that injured him. Both sides of the dispute were present at the trial.

The incident on June 29, 2021, began with an argument between Xu and medical staff at Taipei Cheng Hsin General Hospital, the hospital where her husband is being treated.

The next day, Xu was taken to the interrogation room for questioning by Ding police officers over the issue of wearing masks and disposing of waste which was suspected to be his dispute with hospital staff.

But the interrogation turned sour. Ding punched Xu in the face, causing an injury to his lips. In response, Xu poured a bottle of water on Ding and threatened to file a complaint.

Ding later explained that he tried to force Xu to wear a mask because of the COVID-19 pandemic. He also admitted to hitting him and apologized for his actions.

But Xu refused to accept the officer’s apology and took him to court.

Tag: covid 19 prevention in Taiwan