Singaporean woman given 6 months' jail in Taiwan for stalking singer, threatening her online
Cassandra Low, who is in her 30s, was identified in a court judgment published by the New Taipei District Court on June 5.
She was found guilty of endangering the personal safety of Ms Tsao, stalking and harassing her, and also publicly insulting the singer.
According to the judgment, Low had been an admirer of Ms Tsao, and they had exchanged personal e-mails and messages over Facebook and Instagram since November 2023.
But after Ms Tsao blocked Low on the social media platforms, Low became displeased and posted verbal threats and insults targeting the Taiwanese singer, her family and her agent.
In one post on her Facebook account, Low wrote: 'I can be very aggressive. The more stubborn she is... don't blame me for whatever I do to her parents.'
In another, she wrote: 'Blocking me, see how I slowly let her agent die.'
Low's repeated threats caused Ms Tsao and her agent to leave their homes in New Taipei City.
Her extreme behaviour came to a head in February, when she followed Ms Tsao to the Banqiao high-speed rail station after learning her idol was planning to take the train.
Low successively held on to Ms Tsao's luggage and her phone in a bid to force the singer to unblock her on social media before she was taken away by local police to assist with investigations.
In a video recorded by Ms Tsao during the February incident, Low can be seen blocking the singer's path until she agreed to a reconciliation.
For her crimes, Low was sentenced to six months in prison, or a commuted fine of NT$1,000 (S$43) for each day of her jail term.
The court had heard that Low is a Singaporean and earned a salary that was more than double that of someone working in Taiwan, meaning that a fine alone may not provide the intended corrective impact or reflect the severity of her crimes.
Low will be deported from Taiwan after serving her sentence or paying her fine.
On June 11, Ms Tsao expressed relief at the judgment.
'This is the most comforting piece of news I have received recently,' she wrote on Instagram and Facebook, thanking those around her and her lawyer for their companionship and help.
Ms Tsao, 38, who sings mainly in Taiwanese Hokkien and is better known as Tsao Ya-wen, last won the Best Female Taiwanese Singer award at the prestigious Golden Melody Awards in 2021.
She had previously spoken about feeling helpless and uncomfortable when fans harassed her and her family, without identifying anyone specifically.
This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.
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