A social worker was indicted yesterday on charges of negligent homicide and forgery following the death of a one-year-old in December last year.
The suspect, identified only by her surname, Chen (陳), has been released on bail of NT$300,000.
She has denied the charges, prosecutors said.
Photo: Taipei Times
Chen worked at the Child Welfare League Foundation, which in August last year enlisted two sisters, surnamed Liu (劉), to care for the boy.
The sisters were indicted in April on charges of child abuse resulting in death, intentional deprivation of liberty resulting in death and intentional injury resulting in death from their time in charge of the boy from Sept. 1 to Dec. 23 last year.
The infant lost consciousness in the early hours of Dec. 24 last year after sustaining serious injuries and was pronounced dead after being taken to a hospital.
The Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office said that Chen fabricated reports of visiting the boy while he was with the Liu sisters and on three occasions between Dec. 31 last year and April 18 tampered with records after the boy’s death.
Chen contravened the Protection of Children and Youths Welfare and Rights Act (兒童及少年福利與權益保障法), as well as with procedures for reporting, investigating and handling child protection cases, the office said.
Social workers are required to report improper care within 24 hours.
Chen also failed to adhere to Child Welfare League Foundation and Ministry of Health and Welfare guidelines that stipulate social workers must visit children in their care under six years old at least twice a month for the first six months that they are with caregiver, without informing the carer in advance, the office said.
Chen ignored signs of abuse, including bruises and hair loss, following visits on Sept. 25 and Oct. 23, and failed to investigate, increase the number of visits or report the situation, prosecutors said, adding that instead she accepted excuses given by the Liu sisters.
Prosecutors called for a severe punishment for Chen, who they said showed no remorse over the infant’s death.
Four relatives of the Liu sisters are being investigated for suspected perjury and destruction of evidence, prosecutors said.
On one occasion, Chen sent photographs of the infant to the boy’s grandmother, but downplayed visible injuries, weight loss and emotional distress, instead repeating the Liu sisters’ excuses that the bruises were from an accident and that changes in the weather had caused a loss of appetite, prosecutors said.
After learning that the boy lost three teeth overnight on Nov. 19, Chen visited the infant for a third time the following day and noticed severe changes in his condition, prosecutors said.
Nonetheless, she again failed to report the boy’s condition, they said.
Chen also made misleading statements, prosecutors said.
On Dec. 24 last year — the day the boy died — Chen lied to hospital staff, saying that the main caregiver was the boy’s grandmother and suggesting that his death might have been due to choking, prosecutors said.
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