HK man with Tourette syndrome assaulted in Taipei after shouting

Two Taiwanese men assaulted a 28-year-old Hong Kong man with Tourette syndrome after he suddenly shouted at Shilin MRT Station in Taipei last Friday, according to Taiwanese media.

The man was travelling in Taiwan when he had a tic and shouted near Exit 2 of Shilin MRT Station at around 5pm, according to Taiwanese media reports.

Two men, aged 42 and 33, reportedly confronted him in Taiwanese. Unable to understand the dialect, Han responded in Cantonese, which the pair allegedly misinterpreted as insults, prompting them to attack him.

Police were dispatched to the scene following reports of a disturbance, but the two assailants had already fled.

The man was left shaken but suffered no obvious injuries. He told police he would return to Hong Kong two days later and did not intend to file a complaint.

Taipei police said they have identified the two suspects using surveillance footage and videos recorded by bystanders. Both men have been summoned for questioning.

Authorities confirmed the case will be handled under Taiwan’s Social Order Maintenance Act for acts of violence against another person and forwarded to investigators for further action.

According to the Hong Kong Tourette Association, Tourette syndrome is a chronic neurophysiological disorder characterized by involuntary, repetitive movements or vocalizations known as tics.

These tics can range from single physical actions or sounds to multiple complex behaviors that may change over time.

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