The Legislative Yuan yesterday passed amendments to the Criminal Code allowing the death penalty in cases of child abuse resulting in the death of a child aged seven or younger.
The amendments also mandate a sentence increase by half for murder when the victim is seven or younger.
The changes follow public outrage over the 2023 death of a one-year-old boy, nicknamed Kai Kai (剴剴), who was allegedly tortured to death by his licensed at-home caregiver and her sister.
Photo: Chen Yi-kuan, Taipei Times
The proposed amendments to Article 272-1 of the Criminal Code were supported by the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), and the opposition Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and Taiwan People’s Party (TPP), although opinions differed on amendments to Article 286.
Article 271 of the Criminal Code, which allows for a death sentence, life imprisonment or a sentence of more than 10 years for murder, has been revised to include a clause that increases the sentence by 50 percent if the victim is younger than seven years old.
The death penalty or life imprisonment may also be imposed if the child is killed due to abuse.
The penalty for preparing to murder a child aged seven or younger has also been increased to a maximum of five years in prison.
Additionally, Article 286, which addresses the maltreatment of minors under the age of 18 or actions that impair their mental or physical health or development, specifies sentences ranging from six months to five years in prison for offenders.
According to the article, if the crime is committed with the intent to profit, the sentence can be extended to at least five years in prison, along with a fine of up to NT$3 million (US$102,020).
The amendments would increase the penalties by half if the victim is aged seven or younger.
In addition, abuse resulting in the death of a child aged seven or younger may now be punishable by death, life imprisonment or at least 10 years in prison, while abuse resulting in serious injury to a child under seven would now carry a sentence of at least 10 years in prison.
If the abuse is committed for profit or results in death, the offender may be sentenced to death, life imprisonment or at least 12 years in prison.
If the abuse leads to serious injury, the penalty would be life imprisonment or at least 12 years in prison.
For victims aged seven to 18, if abuse results in death, the offender would be sentenced to life imprisonment or handed at least a 10-year sentence, while if the offense is committed for profit and results in death, the offender would be punished by life imprisonment or at least 12 years in prison.
In cases resulting in serious injury, the sentence is set at a minimum of 10 years.
South Korea has adjusted its electronic arrival card system to no longer list Taiwan as a part of China, a move that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said would help facilitate exchanges between the two sides. South Korea previously listed “Taiwan” as “Taiwan (China)” in the drop-down menus of its online arrival card system, where people had to fill out where they came from and their next destination. The ministry had requested South Korea make a revision and said it would change South Korea’s name on Taiwan’s online immigration system from “Republic of Korea” to “Korea (South),” should the issue not be
Tainan, Taipei and New Taipei City recorded the highest fines nationwide for illegal accommodations in the first quarter of this year, with fines issued in the three cities each exceeding NT$7 million (US$220,639), Tourism Administration data showed. Among them, Taipei had the highest number of illegal short-term rental units, with 410. There were 3,280 legally registered hotels nationwide in the first quarter, down by 14 properties, or 0.43 percent, from a year earlier, likely indicating operators exiting the market, the agency said. However, the number of unregistered properties rose to 1,174, including 314 illegal hotels and 860 illegal short-term rental
ECONOMIC COERCION: Such actions are often inconsistently applied, sometimes resumed, and sometimes just halted, the Presidential Office spokeswoman said The government backs healthy and orderly cross-strait exchanges, but such arrangements should not be made with political conditions attached and never be used as leverage for political maneuvering or partisan agendas, Presidential Office spokeswoman Karen Kuo (郭雅慧) said yesterday. Kuo made the remarks after China earlier in the day announced 10 new “incentive measures” for Taiwan, following a landmark meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) and Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun (鄭麗文) in Beijing on Friday. The measures, unveiled by China’s Xinhua news agency, include plans to resume individual travel by residents of Shanghai and China’s Fujian
Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) and Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun (鄭麗文) met in Beijing yesterday, where they vowed to bring people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait closer to facilitate the “great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.” The meeting was held in the East Hall of the Great Hall of the People, a venue typically reserved for meetings between Xi and foreign heads of state. In public remarks prior to a closed-door meeting, Xi, in his role as head of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), said that Taiwan is historically part of China, and remains an “inalienable” and
RSS