Taiwan MRT commuter who kicked old woman says she acted in self-defence & apologises for causing controversy

The woman who kicked an elderly woman on the Taiwan MRT has apologised in an Instagram story on Oct. 6.

A day later, on October 7, she put on the same outfit she had worn on the train and spoke to Taiwanese media for the first time since the incident, sharing her perspective on the events.

Apologised for causing controversy

The woman, who goes by Fumi on Instagram, found herself in the limelight after she kicked an elderly woman on the train late in September.

The elderly woman was later arrested for theft.

Here's what Fumi wrote on her Oct. 6 Instagram story.

"Happy Mid-Autumn Festival everyone. To my friends in the media, I have completed my statement to the police. You don't have to head down on the 13th to look for me. If there's anything I can help with, please feel free to contact me.

If possible, and without affecting my work, I'd like to objectively clarify and share about what happened.

I'd also like to apologise to members of the public for causing such a controversy."

Fumi's Instagram following has now ballooned to 30,400, which is almost double the number she had on Oct. 3 when she shared about what was in her shopping bag on the day of the incident.

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Fumi 阿姨 (@fumika_chang)

Acted in self-defence

Dressed in the same outfit she wore on the day of the incident, Fumi spoke to members of the Taiwanese media on Oct. 7 and shared her perspective.

Recounting what happened, she said that at the time, she was fearful as the elderly woman's bag felt like it contained metal objects, or at least something as heavy, Mirror Media wrote.

She added that the elderly woman's words and actions made her feel insulted, which added to her frustration.

When asked if she regretted kicking the elderly woman, Fumi said: "This was the first time I've encountered something like that, I just wanted to protect myself."

She also said she had no intention of harming her, but had just wanted some distance between themselves.

After clips of the incident went viral, Fumi received a fair amount of criticism, Mirror Media wrote.

"I didn't expect myself to go viral online, much less be the cause of such controversy," she said, admitting that she regretted causing it.

However, Fumi said that after the incident, her loved ones and friends advised her to take care of herself, pointing out that they knew she had no ill intent.

According to Mirror Media, local police shared that both parties have provided their statements, and investigations will proceed accordingly.

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Top image via Threads, Mirror Media