Sorry for your experience. That’s a long OP though, and many will feel you’ve left out the meat of the tale (tail). We’re all none the wiser as to why there was an attack / altercation in the first place. If you could expand on what happened, and why you consider you were attacked, that might be helpful to the thread’s journey.
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Same can be said of any popular touristy countries. You could be extremely unlucky and get involved with unruly people. It’s really unfortunate for the individuals who get into altercations, but to categorize an entire country is a bit of an over-kill.
Sorry to the OP who had to go through this terrible occurrence though.
More trouble occurs “out after 12am” around the world even though the police should be legitimate and fair.
Thanks for sharing your story. Unfortunately things like your situation do happen in Taiwan.
I think the area you are referring maybe be more commonly known as Ximenting although it is technically in Wanhua district. Wanhua is more commonly known as the area around Longshan Temple.
People do cause trouble and the police can be less than favorable to foreigners or even locals to the immediate area.
Greetings Brianjones-
I agree. The criminal who attacked me walked, talked, and acted like a gangster or street thug.
After attacking me, he even said in translated mandarin, “I can do whatever I want!”
Time is precious: My intent on vacation is to relax and explore, but not explore legal systems! =)
All the best.
-M
Why should they have English translators? It’s not a multicultural society.
Greetings Tommy525-
I began to “personally experience and realize this truth more and more” from the date of the incident up to now.
All the best.
-M
Oh, I believe you. I wasn’t being sarcastic.
I was attacked about 1 year ago from behind. A man with obvious mental difficulties, his mistake was although attacking me from behind he did not put me down. I crushed him , and he went to hospital for broken facial bones and a broken wrist. I just had small bruising on my back from his kick to my spine.
His family then tried to prosecute me for whatever, I called foreign affairs police and my family who are admitedly connected to the Bamboo Union.
The police explained to the aggressors relatives that it was me who could prosecute, as it was I (a relatively old guy) who was attacked first and from behind. The family then apologized to me and requested the whole incident was dropped, I would not have to pay damage for the broken shelves in the store as they would pay and they would pay for his hospital bills. The police said it is reasonable considering the beating that coward received. I thought maybe he needs to be sectioned as he might do that to someone less capable of defending themselves. However, I accepted the outcome. I do however have connections here and grown up kids , so a little different for the tourist gentleman. BTW no one is untouchable here, but it’s still way safer than Thailand.
Most of us are familiar with the old story in which some foreigner goes to a bar / dance club, gets into a fight with the locals–possibly gangsters, and possibly over a woman–and gets beat up, and the police turn out to be useless. This seems similar to that.
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Less so these days in Taipei because of all the CCTV and a way less corrupt legal system than in the old days. Yeah, but usually over girls and alcohol. I guess Tinder has helped reduce the need for picking up girls in clubs lol
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The only danger of wanhau is seeing 65 year old grandma prostitutes. It’s not even dangerous there. Maybe the OP did get attacked, but it’s not wanhau is the bad part of town or something.
I was given translators to court each time. They wouldn’t even let me speak without one because they’re afraid of a botch case due to language issues.
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what do you means for “attacked”??? a knife? a gun? a bazooka? 
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While OP is leaving out how it came to the attack and may be some other things, I believe his story about what happened at the police station and in court.
When I talked to family about some issues and proposed to use the legal system they refused. Even locals try to solve their problem out of the legal system.
The police can be very corrupt, helping people with connections pulling their strings. As a tourist he had little chance to get justice through legal system.
Even obvious cases like the guy who got stabbed and nearly killed by fisherman for surfing at their beach are dragged out by incompetent police and not investigated properly.
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Counter-suing for defamation is a very common tactic here, especially among hot-headed face-conscious people with connections. It’s an aspect of the legal system that I think badly needs reform, as it hampers justice.
It’s rare, however, for gangsters to randomly attack innocent people. Usually they do it for a reason, and these reasons include loss of face. A Taiwanese lowlife who loses face can become highly unpredictable and react well beyond what would be considered warranted by people used to Western culture. This is especially the case when the situation is fueled by alcohol.
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Sorry to hear that has happened to you.
There might be corruption, but probably not seriously corrupt, by that I mean they can probably only be bought off with a large amount of dough.
That’s the more likely reason.
I don’t know, it’s not hard for me to imagine down there someone knows someone and that would lead to something like this.
FIFY
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That fact why those fishermen thought they were in the right to stab him doesn’t matter in a short abbreviation that I posted.
Those fishermen (now convicted criminals) were in the wrong all the way.
According to this article, the beach at Jialeshui is divided up into a surfing area and a fishing area and these fishermen had set up their lines in the surfing area. Moreover, you can’t fish at all at this beach from March to May.
OP, what were you doing in the moments leading up to your being attacked?
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Sounds like this building in Ximenting pedestrian area, in Wanhua district.
獅子林商業大樓
No. 36號, Xining Rd, Wanhua District, Taipei City