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Babysitter arrested over 4-year old's death

A babysitter suspected of abusing a four-year-old girl in her care was arrested yesterday after the girl died on Sunday night.

An application by prosecutors for Kuo Hsiao-wei (郭筱薇), 32, to be refused bail had not been decided as of press time last night.

"The little girl, surnamed Wang, is suspected to have died because she was abused by her babysitter ... The girl was scalded about a week ago and infection of the wounds caused her death," said Lin Pang-liang (林邦樑), a spokesman for the Taipei Prosecutor's Office.

Prosecutors were also investigating whether Kuo's boyfriend, surnamed Wang, had mistreated the girl as well, Lin said.

Police said Kuo brought the girl to Mackay Memorial Hospital on Sunday night, where she was pronounced dead on arrival.

Police said Kuo told hospital staff that the girl had spilt hot milk on herself. However, when doctors saw scald marks on her thighs and genital region and scars on her arms and decided to report the matter to police, Kuo left the hospital.

She went to the police yesterday morning, still claiming that the scalding had been self-inflicted, and that she had bought items to treat the wounds.

Police said the girl's mother had raised her on her own until she was two years old, before leaving her to her sister to look after.

Late last year the mother's sister hired Kuo, a neighbor, to mind the little girl.
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