A New Taipei City junior high school student has died from knife wounds inflicted by a classmate while on campus. All three presidential candidates spoke on the attack that occurred earlier this week in their first round of policy speeches on Thursday.
Taiwan People's Party (TPP) candidate Ko Wen-je (柯文哲), who was chosen to speak first, began his speech with a moment of silence for the deceased classmate and their family. He said that this issue is complex and prevention is better than a cure, emphasizing that leaders need to think about building a social safety net to provide children and parents with a safe living environment.
The Democratic Progressive Party’s (DPP) presidential candidate and sitting Vice President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) ensured that the education ministry has assisted the New Taipei City Government in assisting the teachers, students, and family members with counseling. He also said that in the future, he will actively implement policies that intervene early and provide continuous assistance to at-risk cases, with greater attention paid to mental health support plans for young people.
Kuomintang (KMT) presidential candidate Hou Yu-ih (侯友宜) expressed his sorrow and regret over the attack, having rushed to the hospital to see the student. He said that he believes in a zero-tolerance policy for campus violence and advocates amending laws to strengthen prevention security and provide disciplinary guidance. He added that criminal penalties for gang activity in schools need to be increased.
The attack happened on Monday this week, in which a junior high school student was stabbed repeatedly by another student after an argument. He suffered wounds to his neck, chest, and back and died Tuesday evening after efforts to resuscitate him failed. The assailant has been placed in custody.