Taiwan News
Date: 2016-03-29
By: Matthew Strong, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – Taipei City Mayor Ko Wen-je expressed concern Tuesday that the wide reporting of the decapitation of a little girl would provoke a copycat effect.

After the death of the 4-year-old in the capital’s Neihu District Monday, a police officer was stabbed at the Xinbeitou Mass Rapid Transit station and an environmental worker faced an attacker in New Taipei City’s Shulin District. Both victims were out of critical danger, reports said.

Ko told a meeting of neighborhood wardens Tuesday afternoon that the public should “keep cool” when considering those violent incidents. He said he feared that if the media kept broadcasting news about those attacks, there would be a copycat effect, so he wanted to call for reason.

The mayor told the neighborhood wardens they were the elected officials standing closest to the public, so they could play a valuable role in identifying problem cases and in promoting social cohesion. Local activity centers and neighborhoods should organize joint events to draw those people out of their homes and have them participate in their community’s social life, Ko said, adding that it was impossible to rely entirely on police and social workers.     [FULL  STORY]