On May 19, 2023, Taiwan's Legislative Yuan passed amendments to the Human Trafficking Prevention Act (人口販運防制法) which aim at tightening punishments for human trafficking and attempted human trafficking. Main points of the amendments are as follows:
- Sexual Exploitation:
Those who use such means of debt bondage or another person’s inability, ignorance, or helplessness to force him/her into sexual intercourse or lewd acts in exchange for any monetary or other considerations shall be sentenced to a minimum of 6 months up to 5 years imprisonment and may also be fined up to NT$5 million. Attempts to commit offenses specified above are also punishable.
- Labor Exploitation:
Those who use force, threats, intimidation, confinement, surveillance, drugs, fraud, hypnosis, or any other similar means, to subject another person to labor to which pay is not commensurate with the work performed, shall be sentenced to up to 5 years imprisonment and may also be fined up to NT$3 million. If the victim is under 18 years old, those who commit the crime stated above shall be sentenced to up to 7 years imprisonment and may also be fined up to NT$5 million. An attempt to commit an offense specified above is also punishable.
- Organ Harvesting:
Those who use force, threats, intimidation, confinement, surveillance , drugs, fraud, hypnosis, or other similar means, to subject another person to organ harvesting shall be sentenced to a minimum of 7 years imprisonment and may be fined up to NT$10 million. An attempt to commit an offense specified above is also punishable.
- Human Trafficking:
Those who attempt to use force, threats, intimidation or fraud to recruit, trade, take into bondage, transport, deliver, receive, harbor, hide, broker, or accommodate a person shall be sentenced to a minimum of 5 years imprisonment and may also be fined up to NT$3 million. If the victim is under 18 years old, those who commit the crime stated above shall be sentenced to up to 7 years imprisonment and may also be fined up to NT$5 million. An attempt to commit an offense specified above is also punishable.
Search
English