A social worker allegedly involved in the murder case of a one-year-old boy in foster care was recently handcuffed by the police and taken into custody in public. The incident has sparked an outcry from other social workers for human rights violations.
Kuomintang (KMT) legislator Wang Yu-Min (王育敏) criticized the police for handling the case in a rough manner, handcuffing without providing any protection. She stated that this act has led to a strong backlash from the social work community, resulting in a major setback to the morale of social workers.
National Police Agency (NPA) Deputy Director-General Chan Yung-Mao (詹永茂) apologized for the misconduct in a government report at the legislature on Monday, admitting that the police indeed overlooked the need to protect the social worker’s human rights during the detainment process. He said the Taipei City Police Department has conducted an investigation and disciplined relevant staff. He added that the police will continue to cooperate with social workers in the future, promising that he will request police amend their enforcement methods in the future.