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Taiwan nanny gets life sentence for fatal abuse of toddler

Reporter TVBS News Staff
Release time:2025/05/13 15:16
Last update time:2025/05/13 15:36
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Taiwan court: Life for nanny who killed boy in her care (TVBS News) Taiwan nanny gets life sentence for fatal abuse of toddler
Taiwan court: Life for nanny who killed boy in her care (TVBS News)

TAIPEI (TVBS News) — A harrowing child abuse case reached its judicial conclusion as the Taipei District Court (台北地院), the primary criminal court in Taiwan's capital, imposed a life sentence on nanny Liu Tsai-hsuan (劉彩萱) for the fatal mistreatment of a 1-year-old boy in her care. The court also sentenced her sister and accomplice, Liu Juo-lin (劉若琳), to 18 years imprisonment during Tuesday's (May 13) proceedings. Taiwanese law permits both defendants to challenge the ruling through the appellate system.

According to court documents, the sisters, who worked as childcare providers affiliated with the Child Welfare League Foundation (兒福聯盟), a prominent Taiwanese child protection organization, entered into a formal care agreement with the victim's grandmother in August 2023. Their arrangement to care for the toddler, identified as Kai-kai (剴剴), began September 1 for a daily fee of NT$1,000 (US$33). Prosecutors detailed how Liu Tsai-hsuan subjected the child to systematic torture — restraining his limbs, compelling him to stand unclothed, providing only one meal daily, and inflicting physical punishment for perceived disobedience. The prolonged abuse culminated when the boy was discovered unresponsive on Christmas Eve 2023 and subsequently pronounced dead.

 

The prosecution, which brought multiple charges including fatal child abuse, presented their case before a lay judge court — Taiwan's relatively new judicial format incorporating citizen participation alongside professional judges. In their closing arguments, prosecutors emphasized the brevity of the 10-day trial against the victim's 115 days of suffering, advocating for Liu Tsai-hsuan's life imprisonment. During her final courtroom opportunity, Liu Tsai-hsuan offered a tearful apology, acknowledging wrongdoing and pledging to accept responsibility for her actions. Her sister and co-defendant, Liu Juo-lin, declined to make any statement when given the opportunity to address the court.

Defense counsel for the primary defendant attempted to mitigate her punishment by highlighting alleged structural deficiencies in Taiwan's adoption and childcare oversight mechanisms. The attorney requested the court consider a substantially reduced prison term of 16 to 18 years rather than life imprisonment. This argument apparently failed to persuade the judicial panel, which ultimately imposed the maximum available sentence on Liu Tsai-hsuan while giving her sister a lengthy but finite prison term. ★