Another foreigner attacked in Hsinchu city

Taiwan Living in Taiwan
#1

Recently, I went to teach english in Taiwan (in Jhubei with Joy school), having never done this anywhere before, and having managed to save up some funds, being a graduate with little chance of a good job here in the UK.

Within 4 weeks of being there, I was assualted on a Saturday night aftre work by 4-5 males, in Hsinchu city, both inside and outside the, now I realise, ‘nototrious’ (at least on here, it seems) ‘Flying Pig’ pub.

Which resulted in a broken right radial bone in my arm and a broken left 4th metacarpal and fractured 3rd metacarpal, requiring pins. I was also glassed in the head about 10 times, requiring 32 stitches. My injuries were so bad, because after having been hit in the back of the head and losing my glasses, I couldn’t see people following me and was surrounded and pinned down against a small wall in the grassy parts between the highways around Wenhua street, where I was repeatedly assaulted for what seemed like a fairly long time.

I was basically left unconscious or for dead, for about 4-5 hours until I became conscious in the morning. I then had to have surgery costing 38,000 NTD which I could not afford to pay.

The UK cultural bureau got involved, who were very helpful, as did the taiwanese foreign affairs police of Hsinchu county, who as of about 2 weeks after it happened apparently have 4 people in custody.

Not being able to afford further medical costs, and being a UK citizen and hence able to get free medicsal care I decided I had little to do but return home, especially since my school wasn’t prepared to wait til I got better.

I spoke to several lawyers, here in the UK and also in Taiwan about compensation - the former saying I wouldn’t be eligible as I hadn’t had any kind of travel insurance, and the latter requiring retainers of 50,000 NTD and upwards to look into it.

As I said the cultural bureau and the police seemed at first very helpful but now I get little response to me emails which seems a little cynical.

If anyone has any advice, experience of similar problems, or knows of any one who saw anything of the incident please email me.

thanks

steveknlp4@yahoo.com

A bit grim for a first post, but then I don’t think I’ll be looking into teaching english in Taiwan again.

#2

How did it start?

#3

well as you can see i was knocked unconscious.

i cant remember much of the night other than talking to some spanish guys, talking to a chinese girl, vague recollections of people getting in my face and deciding to leave then getting hit in the back of the head on the way out.

why does it matter?

#4

Um… yeah. As I recall, they had to let the guys go because you went back to the UK before they stood trial. The British embassy was left with no options. Did you ever even thank them for their help? Did you thank anyone? Normally, embassies try to avoid getting involved, as do the police. THESE GUYS WERE ARRESTED AND CHARGED, for crying out loud, because of the guanxi of a complete stranger (who happens to be a good friend of mine) to whom you showed no appreciation whatsoever! The arrest alone is almost unprecedented after an attack on a foreigner; normally you’re told that, “We can’t help you.”

Come to think of it, you’ve already been discussed in this thread. Come to think of it, read the whole thread and see for yourself how these situations are normally handled.

Please don’t think that I think what these punks did was right; they were blatantly in the wrong to have attacked you like that. But don’t go around whinging that nobody is willing to help you when in fact people went out of their way to do so, only to be taken for granted.

#5

…in a pub in Taiwan. Which, as numerous posters have mentioned on this forum over the years, is a good way to end up:

#6

Steve, sorry to hear of your incident. Sounds terrible. Hope you’re doing better.

…in a pub in Taiwan. Which, as numerous posters have mentioned on this forum over the years, is a good way to end up:

What’s that supposed to mean? Should one avoid speaking to local girls in pubs just because there have been a few such cases of criminal battery by dimwitted losers? That’s not what you’re suggesting, is it? It’s not really that bad when you look at the overall picture of all pub experiences in Taiwan, is it (notwithstanding the brutality in a few such cases)?

#7
#8

[quote=“steveknlp2”][quote=“nemesis”]Um… yeah. As I recall, they had to let the guys go because you went back to the UK before they stood trial. The British embassy was left with no options. Did you ever even thank them for their help? Did you thank anyone? Normally, embassies try to avoid getting involved, as do the police. THESE GUYS WERE ARRESTED AND CHARGED, for crying out loud, because of the guanxi of a complete stranger (who happens to be a good friend of mine) to whom you showed no appreciation whatsoever! The arrest alone is almost unprecedented after an attack on a foreigner; normally you’re told that, “We can’t help you.”

Come to think of it, you’ve already been discussed in this thread. Come to think of it, read the whole thread and see for yourself how these situations are normally handled.

Please don’t think that I think what these punks did was right; they were blatantly in the wrong to have attacked you like that. But don’t go around whinging that nobody is willing to help you when in fact people went out of their way to do so, only to be taken for granted.[/quote][/quote]

But why did they ‘have to’ let them go, when according to the cultural bureua they would be charged with attempted murder? What does me being in the country have to do with anything? Obviously, witness testimony is important for the prosecution of a lot of cases, but as I’m sure you’re aware, people are prosecuted for murder when the victim witness is clearly dead. Basically the embassy did little more than act as a translation service with the cops and the doctors. Fine if in most cases usually nothing happens, but if Id known that, along with some of the stories on here I wouldnt have fucking bothered even going over.

Thats why I DONT live in London folks - for the same reasons.

Again, appreciation was shown to everyone who helped me, though little appreciation seemed to be shown to how exactly I could stay in the country when my employer wasn’t prepared to wait til I was better, cancelled my residency when I began to look for other work giving me no legal right to be in the country, I had no medical insurance because they had taken 6 weeks to process it, and I also had no money left to live on, or pay my bills back home, or get a new flight, or pay the 2-3k NTD to have more surgery, or pay for a hospital visit for my hand that was getting infected.

And all this, is only if I’d tried to stay til the end of my visa, a couple of weeks. Whereas a criminal trial would presumably take 6 months - 2 years, or more.

What would you have done?

You say it sounds unprecedented but is that really so? Why let them go? The police officer in charge didn’t even respond to emails when I was still in the country so what encouragement was to there to stay in a country, paying for my own healthcare, becoming homeless, having no job and being cmpletely destitute, having no visa, and no flight out?

Are you supposed to thank policemen for doing their job?

#9

…in a pub in Taiwan. Which, as numerous posters have mentioned on this forum over the years, is a good way to end up:

good job Id managed to fuck 3 of them in the 4 weeks before this happened then eh?

LOLZ!!!

#10

[quote=“steveknlp2”][quote=“nemesis”]Um… yeah. As I recall, they had to let the guys go because you went back to the UK before they stood trial. The British embassy was left with no options. Did you ever even thank them for their help? Did you thank anyone? Normally, embassies try to avoid getting involved, as do the police. THESE GUYS WERE ARRESTED AND CHARGED, for crying out loud, because of the guanxi of a complete stranger (who happens to be a good friend of mine) to whom you showed no appreciation whatsoever! The arrest alone is almost unprecedented after an attack on a foreigner; normally you’re told that, “We can’t help you.”

Come to think of it, you’ve already been discussed in this thread. Come to think of it, read the whole thread and see for yourself how these situations are normally handled.

Please don’t think that I think what these punks did was right; they were blatantly in the wrong to have attacked you like that. But don’t go around whinging that nobody is willing to help you when in fact people went out of their way to do so, only to be taken for granted.[/quote]

But why did they ‘have to’ let them go, when according to the cultural bureua they would be charged with attempted nurder? What does me being in the country have to do with anything? Obviously, witness testimony is important for the prosecution of a lot of cases, but as I’m sure you’re aware, people are prosecuted for murder when the victim witness is clearly dead.

Again, appreciation was shown to everyone who helped me, though little appreciation seemed to be shown to how exactly I could stay in the country when my employer wasn’t rpepared to wait til I was better, cancelled my residency when I began to look for other work giving me legal right to be in the country, I had no medical insurance, and I also had no money left to live on, or pay my bills back home, or get a new flight, or pay the 203k NTD to have more surgery, or pay for a hospital visit for my hand that was getting infected.

And all this, is only if I’d try to stay til the end of my visa. Whereas a criminal trial would presumably take 6 months - 2 years, or more.

What would you have done?[/quote]

I am shocked and dismayed to hear of your attack and the damage it must have done to you physically, emotionally and financially. You owe thanks to no one who helped you as any decent human being SHOULD offer their assistance in such cases. That things like “guanxi” are needed to get basic justice in Taiwan is a pretty damning indictment of this place. And that some would suggest you should express gratitude for what any decent human is obliged to do is beyond me. I suggest you ignore this site as it can be a shitty place at times like this. Opinions are like aresholes…

Take good care.

#11

[quote=“Toasty”][quote=“steveknlp2”][quote=“nemesis”]Um… yeah. As I recall, they had to let the guys go because you went back to the UK before they stood trial. The British embassy was left with no options. Did you ever even thank them for their help? Did you thank anyone? Normally, embassies try to avoid getting involved, as do the police. THESE GUYS WERE ARRESTED AND CHARGED, for crying out loud, because of the guanxi of a complete stranger (who happens to be a good friend of mine) to whom you showed no appreciation whatsoever! The arrest alone is almost unprecedented after an attack on a foreigner; normally you’re told that, “We can’t help you.”

Come to think of it, you’ve already been discussed in this thread. Come to think of it, read the whole thread and see for yourself how these situations are normally handled.

Please don’t think that I think what these punks did was right; they were blatantly in the wrong to have attacked you like that. But don’t go around whinging that nobody is willing to help you when in fact people went out of their way to do so, only to be taken for granted.[/quote]

But why did they ‘have to’ let them go, when according to the cultural bureua they would be charged with attempted nurder? What does me being in the country have to do with anything? Obviously, witness testimony is important for the prosecution of a lot of cases, but as I’m sure you’re aware, people are prosecuted for murder when the victim witness is clearly dead.

Again, appreciation was shown to everyone who helped me, though little appreciation seemed to be shown to how exactly I could stay in the country when my employer wasn’t rpepared to wait til I was better, cancelled my residency when I began to look for other work giving me legal right to be in the country, I had no medical insurance, and I also had no money left to live on, or pay my bills back home, or get a new flight, or pay the 203k NTD to have more surgery, or pay for a hospital visit for my hand that was getting infected.

And all this, is only if I’d try to stay til the end of my visa. Whereas a criminal trial would presumably take 6 months - 2 years, or more.

What would you have done?[/quote]

I am shocked and dismayed to hear of your attack and the damage it must have done to you physically, emotionally and financially. You owe thanks to no one who helped you as any decent human being SHOULD offer their assistance in such cases. That things like “guanxi” are needed to get basic justice in Taiwan is a pretty damning indictment of this place. And that some would suggest you should express gratitude for what any decent human is obliged to do is beyond me. I suggest you ignore this site as it can be a shitty place at times like this. Opinions are like aresholes…

Take good care.[/quote]

Why do you think I didnt thank anyone?

#12

Unless this is a Toon version of humour, I’d suggest that perhaps in an incestuously small place like Hsinchu and an even more incestuous bar like the Flying Pig, there’s the reason for your beating right there – three very angry girls with a lot of very nasty friends.
Knowing what I know of many of the bars in Newcastle, I’d say you were lucky you didn’t try that kind of douchebag behaviour over there. At least you’re not in a wheelchair and you still have both testicles.

#13

Violence can never be condoned, or trivialised with a “you’re lucky worse didn’t happen”. Nobody deserves to have their arms broken or shot at or whatever happens for talking to someone, or for being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Not in Newcastle, not in Glasgow and not here.

And for being put in a wheelchair via gang related vigilantism being a just punishment for douchebagism, grow up. Why would it need more than a good telling off?

Would you have joined in? Or just cheered from the sidelines?

#14

Unless this is a Toon version of humour, I’d suggest that perhaps in an incestuously small place like Hsinchu (Xinzhu) and an even more incestuous bar like the Flying Pig, there’s the reason for your beating right there – three very angry girls with a lot of very nasty friends.
Knowing what I know of many of the bars in Newcastle, I’d say you were lucky you didn’t try that kind of douchebag behaviour over there. At least you’re not in a wheelchair and you still have both testicles.[/quote]

Er, Hsinchu is about the size of say, Manchester? Or Liverpool?

Im afraid it was the Toon version of Humour. But that wasn’t in hsinchu, or at that place. At least MYSPACE has some use, eh kids?

But anyway, is that really any reason to quite literally try and murder someone, aywhere in the world? It’s not a legal defence anyway.

Oh and I don’t even think they’d be that angry - one of the girls had someone, I don’t know who (maybe her husband?) watch me fuck her on her webcam while we did it. Then asked me to put my pants on and leave. Maybe you could look for me on youtube?

So enough with the really fucking boring cliches about mean and women eh? If it was a city centre bar in the centre of newcastle, if you genuinely think you know the area, I can tell you - they wouldn’t castrate you - that was Taiwan remember?

What would happen is, the bouncers would physically break up the fight themselves, holding all parties til the police got there, and the latter would have kept in custody and prosecuted any people breaking arms and attempting murder, even if the victim asked to have it all dropped and the prosecution was against their will.

…Maybe if it was Blyth or Walker … but then they don’t have busy bars with about 40% of the customers being foreign nationals.

Or the central HQ of the police department directly opposite about 20 metres away. :bow:

#15

Isn’t it so that you can actually stay here as long as the court proceedings take? You are a witness and were needed, so the government should allow you to stay regardless of your visa status …

#16

Thats assuming they would have, but even if they had

how would I have paid:

  1. For food and rent in Taiwan

  2. My rent back home

  3. My medical costs

  4. Another flight back as mine couldn’t be re-booked

Despite the great generoisty of many people, no one had any remotely practical answers to any of these questions.

#17

Oops!

#18

[quote=“Big Fluffy Matthew”]Violence can never be condoned, or trivialised with a “you’re lucky worse didn’t happen”. Nobody deserves to have their arms broken or shot at or whatever happens for talking to someone, or for being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Not in Newcastle, not in Glasgow and not here.

And for being put in a wheelchair via gang related vigilantism being a just punishment for douchebagism, grow up. Why would it need more than a good telling off?[/quote]
Trivialised? Condoned? Deserved? Grow up? Why don’t YOU read more carefully? I pointed out a possible WHY, nothing more – frequent a bar that’s a haunt of low-lifes, fuck three different women there in a month and there’s a good chance someone will take offense, either here, or in Newcastle or in Glasgow.
As for the douchebag comment, well, that’s just my opinion of that kind of behaviour.
Would I have cheered or joined in? Oh, piss off why don’t you? What an arsehole thing to say. :unamused:

#19

[quote=“sandman”][quote=“Big Fluffy Matthew”]Violence can never be condoned, or trivialised with a “you’re lucky worse didn’t happen”. Nobody deserves to have their arms broken or shot at or whatever happens for talking to someone, or for being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Not in Newcastle, not in Glasgow and not here.

And for being put in a wheelchair via gang related vigilantism being a just punishment for douchebagism, grow up. Why would it need more than a good telling off?[/quote]
Trivialised? Condoned? Deserved? Grow up? Why don’t YOU read more carefully? I pointed out a possible WHY, nothing more – frequent a bar that’s a haunt of low-lifes, fuck three different women there in a month and there’s a good chance someone will take offense, either here, or in Newcastle or in Glasgow.
As for the douchebag comment, well, that’s just my opinion of that kind of behaviour.
Would I have cheered or joined in? Oh, piss off why don’t you? What an arsehole thing to say. :unamused:[/quote]

They played stuff like Stevie Wonder when I was there. There were lots of europeans and taiwanese, both of whom looked pretty much like limp wristed student types. Its not like it was Jabba’ the Hut’s club or anything.

And I DIDN’T fuck 3 girls from that place, it was a fucking joke. That was people I met off myspace.

And even if I had, so fucking what? Women aren’t personal property.

Enough social darwinistic shite - maybe some taiwanese just have really racist IDEAS in their HEADS.

#20

What you’re saying is that you spoke to a girl in a club…and someone came to you and were pushy so you left. And on your way out they just attacked you from behind?

Did you say anything to them before the attack? It does matter.