A devastating case of systemic failure and predatory behavior has shaken Taichung City, where a primary school baseball coach, identified by the surname Song, has been accused of orchestrating a years-long campaign of sexual abuse against dozens of young athletes. The scale of the tragedy has sparked a fierce political firestorm, with local officials and the public demanding accountability for how such a prolonged pattern of abuse was allowed to persist within the city’s educational framework.
The Taichung primary school baseball coach sexual abuse case has exposed critical gaps in the vetting and monitoring of educational staff. According to legal proceedings, the perpetrator abused his position of trust to commit forced sexual intercourse and forced indecency against children, some as young as eight years old. The case has now evolved into a broader debate over administrative negligence, as critics accuse the city government of being “cold-blooded” in its response to the victims.
Legal actions have already seen the Taichung District Court issue sentences ranging from 3.5 to 8.5 years for the coach, based on 90 specific counts of criminal conduct involving 63 children NowNews. However, the discovery of additional victims continues to emerge, with prosecutors recently identifying another 11 affected children, further escalating the public outcry.
At the center of the political controversy is Taichung Mayor Lu Shi-yen. While the Mayor has publicly called for the strictest possible penalties to ensure justice for the children, she faces intense scrutiny from city councilors and political opponents who claim the administration failed to grasp the true magnitude of the crisis or hold the relevant education officials accountable.
The Scale of Abuse and Judicial Proceedings
The legal battle against the coach, referred to as Song, has unfolded in several waves of indictments. According to reports, the abuse began as early as 2018, with the perpetrator leveraging the trust of young athletes to commit crimes including forced sexual intercourse, forced indecency, and opportunistic indecency Central News Agency. Between 2019 and 2024, the coach is alleged to have committed 90 offenses against children under the age of 14, with approximately 40 pieces of sexual imagery recovered as evidence Central News Agency.
The judicial process has been complex due to the number of victims. The Taichung District Court initially handed down sentences between 3.5 and 8.5 years, though the overall case remains under appeal Line Today. The ongoing nature of the investigations has led to discrepancies in the reported number of victims, a point that has become a flashpoint for political tension.
During a session of the city council, Education Bureau Director Chiang Wei-min stated that there were 43 victims. This figure was immediately challenged by councilors who pointed to the higher numbers cited in prosecutorial documents, leading to accusations that the Education Bureau was “incompetent” and had failed to accurately track the victims Line Today.
Mayor Lu Shi-yen’s Defense and Administrative Actions
Responding to allegations of a cover-up, Mayor Lu Shi-yen has vehemently denied any attempts to protect the perpetrator or the school administration. In a media briefing on April 8, 2026, Lu stated, “There is absolutely no cover-up, and I have not covered anything up” NowNews. She emphasized that the city government has intervened to provide psychological counseling for the students through the Education Bureau and has tasked the Legal Affairs Bureau with assisting families in applying for state compensation (national indemnity), noting that some cases have already been successfully processed Central News Agency.
Regarding the confusion over the number of victims, Mayor Lu explained that the prosecutors’ indictments arrived in three separate waves. She claimed that the first and second waves contained overlapping victims, and that public figures adding the numbers together without accounting for these duplicates created a misleading total. She asserted that the “number of victims is not as the public thinks” because of these overlaps NowNews.
The Mayor also addressed the failure of the school to prevent the coach’s appointment. It was revealed that the school had not followed Ministry of Education regulations regarding the background checks and registration of teaching staff, specifically failing to query whether the individual was unfit for a school environment Central News Agency. The city government imposed sanctions on the school, and the principal was removed from their position NowNews.
Political Fallout and Allegations of “Cold-Blooded” Leadership
Despite these administrative steps, the Mayor’s rhetoric has drawn sharp criticism. Political worker Zhou Xuan slammed the Mayor’s focus on the “overlapping numbers” of victims, arguing that the administration is missing the point. Zhou characterized the Mayor’s responses as “nonsense,” suggesting that the focus should be on the horror that dozens of children were harmed over several years while Lu was in office NowNews.
The criticism centers on the perceived lack of empathy and the gradual pace of accountability. Opponents argue that the “Mother Mayor” persona promoted by Lu Shi-yen is contradictory to the “cold-blooded” handling of a case involving the systemic abuse of minors. Some councilors expressed outrage that Education Bureau Director Chiang Wei-min, despite previously stating he would seek disciplinary action for his role in the administrative failure, has not yet faced any official punishment Line Today.
The debate has also expanded to include other political figures, with critics questioning the silence of potential political rivals and the general lack of urgency from the city’s leadership in addressing the long-term trauma of the survivors.
Summary of Key Case Facts
| Detail | Verified Information |
|---|---|
| Perpetrator | Coach surnamed Song (Primary School Baseball) |
| Estimated Victim Range | 63 children (initial court case) to over 70 (including recent additions) |
| Criminal Charges | Forced sexual intercourse, forced indecency, opportunistic indecency |
| Court Sentences | 3.5 to 8.5 years (current rulings, under appeal) |
| Administrative Failures | Failure to perform mandatory background checks on staff |
| City Actions | Principal removed; state compensation assistance provided |
What Happens Next?
The legal process is far from over. As the case remains under appeal, the courts will continue to review the 90 counts of criminal conduct and the evidence provided by the three waves of indictments. The city government has pledged that if novel evidence or additional illegal acts are discovered, they will not be lenient Central News Agency.
The immediate next steps involve the Education Bureau’s effort to consolidate the final list of victims after the third wave of prosecution documents is fully processed. This will likely be a critical point for further council inquiries into whether the city’s initial count of 43 victims was a result of negligence or a genuine misunderstanding of overlapping data.
We will continue to monitor the appellate court’s decisions and the city government’s progress on victim compensation. Please share this story to raise awareness about school safety and leave your thoughts in the comments regarding the accountability of educational administrators.
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