On July 15, 2026, former criminal police officer Chen Yanjin was sentenced to seven years in prison in the first instance for sexually assaulting a female police officer. The High Court upheld the first instance verdict yesterday and rejected the appeal. Before the second instance verdict, another “rising star” police chief in Taichung City was embroiled in sexual harassment allegations. Crime prevention scholars believe that the “Lucifer effect” can be seen in these perpetrators, showing that “good people can become devils” when power is absolute. Lawyers who have long been dedicated to preventing sexual violence say that the closed culture within the police force prevents victims from speaking out, and this is not unique to the police force. They argue that the system’s channels for appeal must be fully independent to prevent victims from being forced into silence.
In Chen Yanjin’s case, both the prosecution and the Control Yuan pointed out that the closed culture within the police force prevented victims from seeking help in a timely manner. Some officers believe that “things are better now than before,” but admitted that before the incident, some superiors were “too trusting” of Chen based on his excellent performance, and lacked consideration for the safety of female colleagues on duty.
However, the police’s internal pronouncements after the incident, emphasizing that “even the best performance record can’t outweigh a single disciplinary case,” highlight the rigid management style of the police force that prioritizes collective honor and reflects a general tendency within the force to downplay minor incidents and engage in collective defense.
Wang Po-Chi, Associate Professor of the Department of Criminal Justice at Ming Chuan University, stated that based on the verdict, Chen was accused of first sexually harassing and then sexually assaulting the victim. After initially succeeding, he exploited the victim’s vulnerability, escalating his methods. From the female officer’s residence and in the patrol car to her dormitory, he chose relatively controllable and “safe” times when he was alone to commit the crimes. Even after the female officer applied for a transfer, he continued to harm her, telling her to “remember me,” repeatedly demonstrating a domineering and authoritarian mindset.
Police are a disciplined unit that highly emphasizes hierarchical obedience. They have long working hours, a gender imbalance with more men than women, and spend a lot of time together.
Especially when the perpetrator is a direct superior, victims inevitably face immense helplessness when seeking help. Chen, before the incident, was the head of the investigation team at the Zhongzheng First Precinct in Taipei City. He had served as a bodyguard to the Minister of Justice, had outstanding criminal performance records, extensive local and social connections, and was a key figure in the Taipei police force’s development program. This “star aura” and resource background amplified the victim’s despair and emboldened Chen.
Attorney Tsai Shang-chien stated that Chen Yan-jin’s case is a typical example of workplace power-based sexual assault. Compared to typical workplace culture, the hierarchical relationship of obedience and dominance is even more pronounced in the police force. The victim’s long-term silence is usually due to the double whammy of post-traumatic stress disorder and power imbalance.
The perpetrator, being a superior, holds the power of performance evaluation and promotion. The victim fears job loss, peer exclusion, or being stigmatized for resisting or speaking out, thus choosing to remain silent, making the pain even more severe. The Control Yuan’s corrective action also points out that the closed culture that prevents victims from speaking out is not unique to the police force; it is also prevalent in closed structures such as the military, civil service, education, and law enforcement. If appeals and redress channels are merely formalities, and survivors may even face accusations of false accusations afterward, these are common structural problems in industries that highly emphasize hierarchical obedience.
This is the essence of power-based sexual violence. When appeals channels within the system are not independent enough, the unspoken rule of downplaying serious incidents strengthens the complicity structure, forcing victims to remain silent to protect their careers and livelihoods.
Professor Wang Po-Chi, in an interview with United Daily News, stated that the frequent occurrence of power-based sexual violence within the police force highlights the inadequacy of oversight and grievance mechanisms.