An 80-year-old woman in Taiwan has been sentenced to prison after ending the life of her 53-year-old paralysed son.
The heartbreaking case, reported by Taiwan’s EBC News, has since sparked a nationwide discussion about caregiver burnout and elderly caregiving struggles.
The woman, identified as Liu (name transliterated), had cared for her son for more than five decades.
He became paralysed in childhood after contracting polio and meningitis, leaving him completely dependent on her for bathing, feeding, and daily care.
But Liu’s health took a sharp decline after she caught Covid-19 in early 2023.
Already elderly and exhausted, she struggled to lift, move, or tend to her son as she had done for decades.
The physical strain and emotional weight soon became overwhelming.
Source: Aflo Images on Canva, for illustrative purposes only
On 12 May 2023, worn down by years of caregiving and her own deteriorating condition, Liu made the decision to take her son’s life.
She then placed a red envelope containing NT$10,000 (S$417) in his mouth, an act reflecting Taiwan’s traditional beliefs that the deceased should have money for the afterlife, before killing him.
She later told investigators that she wanted to relieve her son’s suffering, as well as her own.
Despite the tragedy, Liu’s family said they understood the immense pressure she had endured.
She had dedicated her entire life to caring for her son, often alone, and the isolation brought by the pandemic intensified her emotional collapse.
Liu has been sentenced to two and a half years in prison, with a possible presidential pardon due to her emotional distress.
The court recognised the overwhelming pressure she had been under but affirmed that the tragic incident was a result of reckless action. The verdict is currently under appeal.
The case has sparked a broader discussion about the emotional and physical toll on caregivers and the challenges faced by elderly individuals.
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Featured image adapted from Aflo Images on Canva, for illustrative purposes only.