PUBLISHED ONJuly 03, 2024 6:10 AMByClaudia TanFor the past three years, a Singaporean woman said she has been tormented by an incident in Taiwan where she was punched by a police officer.
She ended up suing the officer, who was charged with intentional injury. Both parties appeared in a Taipei court on Tuesday (July 2).
The woman, known only as Xu, had gotten into an argument on June 29, 2021 with medical staff at Cheng Hsin General Hospital in Taipei, where her husband was warded, reported Taiwanese media outlet ETtoday.
She was subsequently arrested and detained by the police.
The next day, Xu was taken into an interrogation room, where she argued with a police officer surnamed Ding, over the issues of mask wearing and garbage disposal.
As the altercation escalated, Ding punched Xu in the face, causing injury to her lip. In retaliation, she splashed a bottle of water at him and threatened to sue him.
Ding later explained that he had tried to make Xu wear a mask because of the Covid-19 pandemic. He also admitted to hitting her and apologised for his actions.
Xu, however, refused to accept his apology and sued him instead.
During the court hearing on Tuesday, Xu's lawyer told the judge that the incident has caused much suffering to her, and that she was still receiving treatment for her injuries in Singapore.
Two police officers testified in court that they witnessed Ding hit Xu in the face with his right fist. Ding also noted that he had apologised to Xu four times and is sincere about settling the dispute amicably.
However, Xu, who told the court she is a widow, has rejected the attempts at mediation, alleging that CCTV footage of the incident had gone missing.
Speaking to ETtoday after the court session, a teary Xu said: "For three years... I suffered physically and mentally. If I accept [Ding's] settlement, he may not realise the extent of my suffering."
"Why are the police in Taiwan allowed to hit people?" she questioned. "I cannot accept this, it is too easy for him. He has to learn a lesson from this.
"Money cannot make up for the pain, emotional and physical torture, and physiological turmoil I've had to go through."
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claudiatan@asiaone.com
