Woman jailed for late-night megaphone tirades targeting neighbours in Kaohsiung
A woman in Kaohsiung, Taiwan has been sentenced to three months’ imprisonment after repeatedly using a megaphone to hurl vulgar insults at her neighbours late at night over a period of more than a year.
According to the judgment, the woman, surnamed Chen, had long-standing disputes with residents in her neighbourhood.
From May 2023 onwards, she set up amplification equipment on the third-floor balcony of her house two to three times a week, often during late-night or pre-dawn hours when others were asleep.
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At maximum volume, she directed crude insults and profanities into the alley, with each session reportedly lasting several dozen minutes.
Affected neighbours report her actions to the police
The broadcasts were loud enough to affect not only six adjacent households but also four households on the opposite side of the street.
Residents testified that the insults included highly offensive language, and one neighbour said Chen had even falsely accused them of drugging her.
The prolonged disturbances severely disrupted the sleep and daily lives of those living nearby.
After enduring the situation for nearly two years, about 10 affected households collectively reported the matter to the police and filed a complaint.
Behaviour deemed a violation of residential peace
During the trial, Chen admitted to using a megaphone to curse at her neighbours but claimed she did so only occasionally, alleging that noise from surrounding homes had kept her awake.
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The judge rejected her defence, finding that her repeated use of amplified equipment to broadcast abusive language during late-night hours went beyond what society can reasonably tolerate.
The court held that by deliberately creating excessive noise and verbal harassment, Chen interfered with her neighbours’ lawful right to residential tranquility and sleep, constituting the offence of coercion under Taiwan’s Criminal Code.
She was sentenced to three months in prison, commutable to a NT$90,000 (approximately S$3,600) fine. The case is appealable.
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