Two babysitters have been indicted for abuse, injury and coercion resulting in the death of one child and injury of two others, the Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office said today.
Last year, babysitters Liu Tsai-hsuan (劉彩萱) and Liu Jou-lin (劉若琳) were accused of collaborating to abuse a one-year-old boy, resulting in his death.
The sisters were entrusted to care for the boy in August 2023 by the Child Welfare League Foundation.
Photo: Taipei Times
From Sept. 1 to Dec. 23, 2023, they allegedly committed acts of abuse against the boy, who was rushed to the hospital with severe injuries on Dec. 24, 2023, but did not survive.
The incident resulted in a surge of scrutiny into the foundation and caregiving practices more widely after it came to light early last year.
Further investigation found that the sisters had abused two other young children, prosecutors said.
Liu Tsai-hsuan began caring for a six-month-old surnamed Pan (潘) in April 2023, prosecutors said.
Starting in the same month, Liu Jou-lin was entrusted by the foundation to care for a newborn surnamed Tsai (蔡), they said.
In September 2023, while Liu Jou-lin was caring for Tsai, she allowed another child in her care, surnamed Lin (林), to press their foot against Tsai’s head and tighten the pacifier strap around Tsai’s neck, prosecutors said.
Lin also flicked Tsai’s eyes, nose, face and neck, causing Tsai to cry uncontrollably, they said, adding that instead of stopping this abuse, Liu recorded the incident on video.
Liu Jou-lin was hospitalized for surgery in October 2023, leaving Liu Tsai-hsuan to care for Tsai on Oct. 29.
That day, Liu Tsai-hsuan used cloth strips to tie the infant to a chair by their hands and legs, prosecutors said.
On Sept. 12, 2023, the sisters made Pan, who had not yet learned to walk, balance with one leg on a chair and the other on the ground, unable to move, prosecutors said.
Pan felt pain, anxiety and fear, screamed and cried, turning around to ask for help, but the sisters ignored the child, they said.
Pan’s mother also discovered that Liu Tsai-hsuan neglected to change Pan’s diapers, resulting in swelling and blisters around the infant’s anus, prosecutors said.
Even after reminders from Pan’s mother and the doctor, she still neglected to change Pan’s diapers, harming the infant, they added.
The office concluded its investigation today, charging the sisters with obstructing children’s development through abuse and seeking heavy sentences in accordance with the Protection of Children and Youths Welfare and Rights Act (兒童及少年福利與權益保障法).
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