Man allegedly hits mother of 4 on Taipei MRT after seeing her smack toddler's hand
A mother of four was allegedly assaulted by a man on the Taipei MRT after she smacked her two-year-old daughter's hand for throwing a mobile phone to the ground.
In a Threads post dated Mar 1, user kissme20101010 recounted how she had boarded a train with her children, aged 12, eight, six, and two, after her husband dropped them off at Yongning MRT Station. They were on their way to meet her grandfather and aunt in Ximending.
Both locations are on the Bannan Line of the Taipei Metro, which has a total of 23 stations serving the districts of Nangang, Xinyi, Daan, Zhongshan, Wanhua, Banqiao, and Tucheng.
Recounting the incident, the woman, who identified as Wu You Xi (transliterated from Chinese) said her two-year-old daughter grew excited and threw a phone that she and her six-year-old son were using to keep her occupied.
"I turned her palm over and smacked it twice," Ms Wu wrote, adding that she did it so her daughter would be more aware of her actions.
She alleged that a man then "rushed over out of nowhere", began striking her on the head, and called her out for hitting her child.
"The implication was that I was abusing my child," Ms Wu wrote.
The mother said she was still holding her two-year-old daughter at the time and was unable to react in time. She allegedly sustained abrasions on her face and said the vision in her left eye started to blur.
Her 12-year-old daughter then stepped in to shield her, while her eight- and six-year-old sons were left "stunned".
"She was really amazing and very brave," Ms Wu wrote of her eldest child. "But she still hasn't been able to calm down. She keeps crying."
Police attend to situation
In the video, which was filmed by her eldest daughter and has been widely circulated on social media, MRT officers can be seen entering the train carriage and breaking up the altercation between Ms Wu and the alleged assailant — a bespectacled man dressed in black and carrying a recycled bag.
Off-camera, a voice can be heard saying, "Mum, let's get off the train." Ms Wu, her children, the alleged assailant, and the officers subsequently alighted from the train.
The altercation continued with Ms Wu asserting that there are different ways to discipline children.
The alleged assailant, who admitted to hitting Ms Wu, retorted that he was willing to "pay the price" for his actions. At one point, he even stated:
I insist on interfering!
Security officers were seen attempting to calm Ms Wu down, assuring her that they would handle the situation.
The post has garnered over 100,000 likes, 10,900 comments, and 48,400 shares.
Netizens accused man of 'double standards'
Threads users were quick to point out the alleged assailant's hypocrisy. "He has double standards… a mother can't discipline her children by beating, but he can do it to a stranger?" wrote one user.
"If he believed she was abusing her child, he should be reporting it, not beating her up," commented another user.
Meanwhile, some users, including one who claimed to be the woman's sister, praised the 12-year-old girl for her bravery and quick thinking in recording the argument.
Man under investigation for assault
According to TVBS, Huang Bairen, head of Guangfu police station in Tucheng district, Ms Wu and the alleged assailant were brought in for questioning.
The case has been referred to the New Taipei District Prosecutor's Office for charges of assault.
Ms Wu reportedly sustained bruises on her left calf as well as contusions to her face and head.
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