Press Release | Advocacy and Law Amendments Rely Solely on Victims: Can the Ministry of Justice Please Take This Seriously?

To date, 14 legislative proposals have been introduced in the Legislative Yuan to reform the statute of limitations for prosecution in cases involving survivors of childhood sexual assault, along with three legislative proposals concerning reform of crime victim compensation.

However, after publishing its draft amendments concerning the statute of limitations for prosecution, the Ministry of Justice has yet to submit the draft to the Legislative Yuan for review and has remained silent on whether it will study and propose amendments concerning crime victim compensation.

The Taiwan Alliance for Crime Victims' Rights believes that the relevant legislative proposals have matured sufficiently for the Legislative Yuan to move forward promptly after considering views from all sectors, thereby strengthening the protection of victims' rights. At the same time, we call on the Ministry of Justice, as the competent authority for these laws and regulations, to conduct broader studies and comprehensively review the necessary supporting mechanisms rather than continually lagging behind reform.

I. Justice Delayed: Victims Should No Longer Have to Wait

Perpetrators who exploit the vulnerability of minors to commit sexual assault may escape criminal liability under the current statute-of-limitations system by the time victims reach adulthood and finally find the courage to pursue legal action. Civil society organizations, legislators, and even the Ministry of Justice, as the competent authority, have already reached broad agreement on the need for reform. In-depth reporting by media outlets including The Reporter, PTS News, and Right Plus has also brought widespread public attention to the issue.

The Alliance calls on the Legislative Yuan to advance the legislative process without delay. In particular, lawmakers should consider whether amendments to the Criminal Code of the Republic of China should be accompanied by amendments to the Child and Youth Sexual Exploitation Prevention Act. Moreover, for offenses whose limitation periods have begun to run but have not yet expired, the Alliance maintains that the calculation of the limitation period should be governed by the amended law in order to effectively protect victims' rights.

Relatedly, the current limitation periods governing applications for crime victim compensation under the Crime Victim Rights Protection Act remain inadequate and excessively restrictive. In practice, absurd situations can arise in which a prosecutor has already indicted the defendant, yet the victim is unable to receive compensation merely because the statutory application period has expired. Some may respond: "The victim allowed their rights to sleep." But when victims or bereaved families are suddenly struck by serious crimes, why should the government not provide more responsible care? Why does the state, which understands the law, fail to assist people who have suffered major trauma? Is it really the victim who has fallen asleep, or the government that has failed to fulfill its duty of care?

We therefore also urge the Legislative Yuan to promptly advance amendments so that all eligible victims have a meaningful opportunity to obtain reasonable compensation.

For more detailed explanations of the proposed amendments, please also refer to:

March 21, 2025 — [Press Conference] Stop Making Things Difficult for Crime Victims: The Limitation Period for Compensation Claims Should Be Relaxed

August 27, 2025 — [Statement] Young Victims Should Not Be Deprived of the Opportunity to Pursue Justice

II. Falling Behind: Can the Ministry of Justice Please Take This Seriously?

In fact, at the October 2022 meeting of the Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Prevention Promotion Task Force under the Ministry of Health and Welfare, a proposal supported by scholars and women's organizations resulted in a resolution requesting that the Ministry of Justice submit the issue of extending or abolishing the statute of limitations for prosecution in child sexual assault cases under the Criminal Code of the Republic of China to its criminal-law research group for deliberation.

Yet it was not until March 2024, after the Constitutional Court accepted relevant cases and civil society organizations intensified their advocacy for reform, that the Ministry of Justice finally published an official draft for public notice in August 2025. The Ministry's pace of reform has not only lagged far behind developments abroad; without the public taking matters into its own hands and speaking out forcefully, there is no telling how much longer victims' rights would have continued to be ignored.

Beyond the delay itself, the substance of the Ministry of Justice's proposal offers little that is new and remains incomplete compared with versions proposed by civil society organizations and legislators (see details here). As the competent authority, the Ministry has also failed to review whether related laws—including the Civil Code and the Crime Victim Rights Protection Act—should be amended at the same time. Must the public also fight on its own for a comprehensive review of these systems? If even the promotion of legislative reform requires victims to rely on self-help, what purpose is the Ministry of Justice serving?

With respect to amendments to the Crime Victim Rights Protection Act, the Alliance has already submitted a comprehensive proposal. If the statute of limitations for prosecution in child sexual assault cases is extended, the next immediate question is whether victims will still be able to seek damages from perpetrators in tort under the Civil Code. U.S. states have accumulated substantial legislative experience since the 2000s in extending limitation periods for such civil claims. Will Taiwan amend its law or not? Has the Ministry of Justice begun discussing the issue? When will it provide the public with an answer?

The Alliance therefore calls on the Legislative Yuan to prioritize the review and passage of the foregoing amendment proposals during the current legislative session, so that the state's duty to protect children and crime victims can be strengthened as soon as possible.

Press Conference Time

Monday, December 1, 2025, 10:00

Press Conference Location

Room 101, Legislative Yuan Research Building (Chung-Hsing Building), No. 3-1, Sec. 1, Jinan Rd., Zhongzheng Dist., Taipei City

Attendees

Lin Yung-sung, Attorney｜Convener, Taiwan Alliance for Crime Victims' Rights

Xu Chengyin, Attorney｜Chairperson, Committee on Victim Rights Protection, Taiwan Bar Association

Fu Xinyi, Attorney｜Vice Chairperson, Committee on Victim Rights Protection, Taiwan Bar Association

Lee Ming-ju, Attorney｜Deputy Executive Director, Judicial Reform Foundation

Lin Yueh-chin｜Legislator

Chen Pei-yu｜Legislator

Chang Ya-lin｜Legislator

Wu Szu-yao｜Legislator

Press Contact

Lyu Jheng-yan, Attorney｜Director, Legal Policy Department, Judicial Reform Foundation

Phone: 02-2523-1178 #37

Email: elvin@jrf.org.tw