Nineteen Taiwanese service members have died by self-harm this year, more than in all of 2025

Nineteen members of Taiwan's armed forces have died by self-harm so far in 2026, already more than the 17 recorded in the whole of 2025, according to a written report the Ministry of National Defense sent to the Legislative Yuan on Wednesday, 28 October. The report counts 60 such deaths since the start of 2024, including 24 that year.

The ministry filed the report ahead of a session of the legislature's Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee on Thursday, 29 October, at which the defence and foreign ministries, the National Security Bureau, the Overseas Community Affairs Council and the Veterans Affairs Council are due to brief lawmakers on how they have handled workplace bullying, improper management, gender-equality and self-harm cases since 2024, and to take questions.

The China Times reported that a spate of recent cases, including three self-harm deaths in roughly half a month, had drawn concern from legislators.

Misconduct cases and penalties

According to the Liberty Times account of the report, the military has recorded 36 cases of improper management since 2024, with 13 in 2024, 12 in 2025 and 11 so far this year. Three ended in dismissal from post, and the rest drew penalties ranging from major and minor demerits to reprimands, written apologies and confinement to base.

The report lists 233 gender-equality cases over the same period. They comprise 41 cases at military schools, 192 sexual harassment cases, of which 81 were recorded in 2024, 82 in 2025 and 29 this year, and six sexual assault cases. Penalties for sexual harassment included one dismissal from post and major demerits in 39 cases, while one sexual assault case also led to dismissal. The ministry said suspects facing criminal liability are referred quickly to the military police.

The ministry told lawmakers it investigates such cases strictly and quickly to protect discipline. Units must form an investigation team that includes outside members within set deadlines and finish a report within one to two months, and cases that may involve crimes are passed to prosecutors. In September it revised its rules on sexual harassment so that complainants can appoint a representative to file on their behalf and so that members of the panels hearing complaints have no reporting or business ties to either party.

Counselling capacity

The report says the self-harm figures cover cases in which a life was lost. After each case, the ministry says it works with judicial authorities to establish the facts, helps the family, and arranges counselling for comrades and troops who witnessed the incident. Citing a health ministry suicide prevention handbook, it describes the causes of suicide as complex, combining physical, psychological, social and cultural factors.

Under a mental health care programme for the armed forces, service members can book six counselling sessions at any of 360 partner civilian institutions, extendable to 12. The ministry has also begun hiring licensed civilian psychologists and social workers for units: 40 were taken on in 2025 and 2026, and a second phase would add 17 more in 2027 and 2028.

For the Veterans Affairs Council, the China Times and ETtoday reported 48 workplace bullying complaints since 2024, six of them substantiated, and 46 gender-equality complaints, 28 of them substantiated, with about 80 per cent of the substantiated cases in its hospital system.