"Mental harm suffered" complaint filed to school
Patient consent required for breast examination
A female professor at a university in Taiwan has sparked public outrage after sexually harassing a female student by lifting her top and exposing her chest without permission.
Recently, local media outlets such as Sanli News (三立新聞) and CTWANT reported that a post accusing a professor at a university in Kaohsiung (高雄) of sexually harassing a student was uploaded on the Taiwanese university student online community Dcard. According to the report, during class, the female professor instructed a male student to conduct a breast physiology examination on a female student attending the same class. However, when both the male and female students hesitated, she told him to perform the examination on another female student instead.
The female student also politely declined, saying she was "not mentally prepared," but the professor suddenly lifted her top. When the startled female student showed resistance by covering her chest, the professor stopped the action, and the student hurriedly adjusted her clothing. However, the professor reportedly said, "I have experienced this overseas," and "this is a cultural difference between the East and West." The female student is said to have filed a complaint with the school, stating that she suffered significant psychological harm.
The author of the post explained the situation by saying, "This was a theory class, not a practical session." They added, "Right after class, she was crying in the bathroom," and expressed concern, saying, "I want to help, but the school's gender equality committee will probably side with the professor." According to current medical regulations in Taiwan, doctors must obtain consent from patients before conducting breast examinations, and such procedures must be carried out with the support and explanation of a female nurse.
Local netizens who learned of the incident responded with comments such as, "Excusing it as a cultural difference is unacceptable; this is clearly a criminal act," "I feel sorry for the female student who must have felt shame and humiliation," "Being overseas doesn't make it any different," and "Any act against a person's will is obviously sexual harassment." As the post spread online and the controversy grew, the author expressed gratitude for the attention, stating, "Thank you for the interest from many people," and added, "The school is currently investigating the incident. If the outcome is unacceptable, I will come back to update you."
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