Hsinchu:Taiwan's Army has removed the commander of a Hsinchu-based brigade amid an ongoing investigation into allegations that one of the unit's soldiers, a lieutenant surnamed Wang, took her own life after being bullied by her peers.
According to Focus Taiwan, the Army Command Headquarters announced that both the commander of the 206th Brigade and the brigade's director of political warfare, both colonels, have been removed from their posts after an internal investigation found them derelict in their duties related to the incident. Civilian prosecutors have also launched an investigation into the circumstances surrounding Wang's death, with the Army committing to cooperate fully.
The statement from the Army follows calls for accountability from the opposition Kuomintang (KMT), who urged the Ministry of National Defense and the Army to release their investigation findings on Wang's alleged suicide and its connection to workplace bullying. Wang's death occurred on September 30, when she was found dead after falling from a building at the 206th Brigade.
KMT lawmakers have highlighted broader concerns within the military, noting 19 suicides reported this year and calling for Defense Minister Wellington Koo to apologize and assume responsibility for the military's failure to safeguard its service members. Additionally, an incident involving an officer from the Army's 542nd Combined Arms Brigade, who suffered burns in a training accident, is under separate investigation.
