Published: 2026/7/2 15:16 Social Center / Comprehensive Report
Taiwan Civil Anti-Fraud Association held a press conference today (2nd) titled “Combating Fraud Must Be Effective! Government Gives an Answer! Caning Referendum Poll Released.” The survey results showed that 73.3% of respondents agreed to promote caning as a means to combat fraud through a referendum. Association Chairman Xu Liangyuan stated that in the face of serious fraud crimes, the public believes that criminal policies involving significant public interests and social security should allow public opinion to be fully expressed through direct democratic mechanisms.
The poll also showed that 84.7% of the public support the government introducing caning for serious fraud, child abuse, sexual assault, and other crimes, or submitting a formal assessment report and legislative amendments; 89.6% of the public believe that if the government is unwilling to introduce caning due to human rights or constitutional concerns, it should at least propose a deterrent alternative. Hsu Liang-yuan pointed out that this poll reflects deep-seated anxiety in society regarding the low cost of serious crimes, insufficient judicial deterrence, and the gap in victim protection.
Hsu Liang-yuan stated that fraud crimes have been rampant in recent years, with constantly evolving methods. Many victims lose not only money, but also retirement savings, medical expenses, children’s educational resources, and even a sense of security in society and life. Fraud is no longer just a single criminal case, but a major public safety issue affecting family stability, social trust, and national governance capabilities.
This poll also included the issue of driving under the influence of drugs. The survey showed that 96.7% of the public agreed that driving under the influence of drugs should not be considered merely a traffic violation, but a major public safety issue endangering public safety; 94.5% of the public supported harsher penalties, with the maximum penalty for death caused by driving under the influence of drugs being life imprisonment or the death penalty, along with the immediate confiscation of vehicles and other supporting measures.
Legislator Liao Wei-hsiang stated that there are nearly 198,000 fraud cases annually, which is no longer simply a property crime, but a systemic problem that seriously erodes social trust. Regarding subsequent legislative amendments, Liao Wei-hsiang put forward four specific demands: the referendum on caning should be held as scheduled; the Ministry of Justice should disclose sentencing, parole, recidivism, and asset recovery data for major fraud, drug driving, child abuse, and sexual assault cases; the Judicial Yuan should explain the sentencing standards for major cases so that society can examine whether there is a genuine deterrent effect; and the Legislative Yuan should review the parole system for repeat fraud offenders and ringleaders of organized crime groups. As for amendments to the drug driving law, they should be implemented in one go, including increasing penalties, vehicle confiscation, increased penalties for refusing testing, and measures to prevent license revocation.
Former legislator and police scholar Yu,Yu-Lan stated that the judiciary should be a tool for upholding justice, but polls show that 90.1% of the public believe that the verdicts in major fraud or drug driving cases fall far short of expectations of fairness and justice; the judiciary is seriously deviating from public opinion and failing to address the suffering of the people. The government and judicial organs should immediately implement systemic reforms.
Professor Su Chien-chou of the Department of Communication and Management at Shih Hsin University pointed out that this survey, with 1,000 valid samples across Taiwan, conveyed three messages: public opinion demands that the government actively respond to the issue of caning, leaving no room for reform; drug-impaired driving has become a major public safety problem, indicating that society expects stricter systems to protect people’s lives; and judicial credibility is facing a test, requiring the government to address public opinion and rebuild public trust in the judiciary.
Chang, Kuang-Ming Professor and Chair of Criminal Justice Department at Ming Chuan University, cautioned that caning involves controversy regarding its cruelty, inhumanity, or torture, yet the high public support (84.7%) may be related to the traditional mindset of severe punishment, as well as the fear of crime triggered by recent drug-impaired driving incidents and media reports. The government should consider this an important issue in crime prevention and judicial communication.