TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Taiwan has documented an alarming average of 26 children suffering catastrophic injuries or death from abuse each year since 2020, according to troubling statistics released Friday (April 11) by the Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW, 衛福部), the government agency overseeing public health and social services. Health officials revealed that authorities have identified 134 severe child abuse cases across the island nation during the five-year period from 2020 through 2024, with nearly half — 63 cases — involving traumatic brain injuries inflicted by caregivers. The consequences have proven devastating: one-quarter of these young victims died despite medical intervention, while three-quarters of survivors face permanent, life-altering disabilities.
Chang Hsiu-yuan (張秀鴛), who directs the Department of Protective Services (保護司), a specialized division within the ministry responsible for safeguarding vulnerable populations, identified traumatic brain injuries as the predominant form of severe maltreatment. She explained a disturbing pattern where perpetrators frequently attribute injuries to household accidents such as falls, exploiting young victims' inability to communicate their experiences. The statistics reveal a particularly vulnerable demographic: 90 percent of these critical abuse cases affect children younger than 2 years old, with nearly three-quarters — 73 percent — involving defenseless infants under 12 months of age.
The devastating long-term consequences of such abuse were detailed by Dr. Li En-pei (李恩沛), a pediatric critical care physician at Linkou Chang Gung Memorial Hospital (林口長庚醫院), one of Taiwan's premier medical centers. Dr. Li confirmed the grim survival statistics—one in four children with abuse-related head trauma does not survive — while emphasizing that recovery rarely means returning to normal life. More than 70 percent of survivors develop permanent neurological conditions including epilepsy, cerebral palsy, and cognitive impairments. Visual impairment affects over half of these children, with many experiencing partial or complete blindness. More importantly, more than 20 percent lose the ability to eat normally, requiring permanent feeding tube support. Dr. Li made a stark comparison, asserting that child abuse has inflicted more profound and lasting damage on Taiwan's children than the COVID-19 pandemic, calling for a coordinated societal response to this hidden crisis.