A four-month-old baby is believed to have starved to death after her mother, identified by the surname Chen, left her alone in their home in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, for eight days.
On 23 Sept, while dropping off her eldest daughter at a childcare centre, the nanny inquired about the youngest child, who had not been seen for several days.
When Chen revealed that the baby had died, the nanny promptly alerted the authorities.
Upon arrival, firefighters discovered the infant lying on a bed inside the home.
Source: Ignacio Campo on Unsplash, for illustration purposes only
Her body had darkened and was emitting a foul odour, indicating she had been deceased for several days.
Police found no visible injuries on the baby and suspected starvation as the cause of death.
Following questioning, they charged Chen with murder.
The baby’s body was subsequently sent to the prosecutor’s office for an autopsy to confirm the cause of death.
Due to suspicions of potential witness tampering, evidence destruction, and flight risk, Chen was detained.
Chen stated that she took her eldest daughter to her mother’s house on 15 Sept, leaving her youngest daughter alone at home with the air conditioning running.
She claims she did not leave Kaohsiung during those eight days, asserting that she visited her parents’ home for the Mid-Autumn Festival.
Source: United Daily News
During a family gathering, relatives inquired about the baby, and Chen informed them that she had left her in the care of a friend.
On the morning of 23 Sept, before taking her eldest daughter to the childcare centre, she returned home and found her baby dead.
The prosecutor noted that the childcare centre had closed on 16 Sept due to an enterovirus outbreak.
This prompted Chen to request sick leave for her daughters on 18 Sept.
For the following two days, she brought her eldest daughter to the centre while leaving the baby alone at home.
According to United Daily News, Chen is a single mother who gave birth to her eldest daughter out of wedlock in 2022.
She then welcomed her youngest in May of this year.
Previously residing with her mother, Chen was classified as a vulnerable family by the Social Affairs Bureau due to unemployment and financial difficulties.
The bureau assisted by providing a rental home, infant supplies, childcare services, and a monthly allowance of NT$5,400 (approximately S$220) for Chen and her daughters.
The baby’s father, a street vendor, had been largely absent during Chen’s pregnancy and rarely saw his daughter.
He learned of the baby’s death only during police questioning, expressing shock and stating he “had no idea what happened”.
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Featured image adapted from United Daily News and Ignacio Campo on Unsplash, for illustration purposes only.
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