Child in Taiwan allegedly tortured to death & found with blackened genitals & missing nails
In Dec 2023, a chilling case of child abuse in Taiwan came to light, sending shockwaves across the island.
A one-year-old child had allegedly died from fatal torture while under the care of two foster carers. More shockingly, his genitals were blackened and his nails were plucked out.
The incident resulted in over 300 people protesting outside the Taipei District Court on Wednesday (19 March), calling for harsher punishments — including the death penalty — for such abuse cases.
Child entrusted to 2 foster carers
In Aug 2023, the boy, known as Kai Kai (pseudonym), was placed in the care of Liu Tsai-hsuan — a legally accredited home-based foster carer. Her younger sister Liu Juo-lin would also help to take care of the children in their home.
Kai Kai was placed under foster care as his biological mother and grandmother were unable to care for him.
However, Kai Kai was allegedly abused to death just 114 days after being placed under their care.
Source: Bastille Post
According to Taiwanese media TTV News, Kai Kai was sent to the hospital at the end of Dec 2023 due to breathing difficulties.
The hospital found that Kai Kai was malnourished and covered in injuries.
Not only were his skull, pelvis, and calf bones damaged, but he also had broken teeth, pulled-out fingernails, and blackened genitals, reported Hong Kong news outlet HK01.
Despite rescue efforts, Kai Kai eventually succumbed to his injuries.
Sisters denied child torture allegations
The Liu sisters were suspected of being responsible for the alleged abuse and subsequent death.
An investigation revealed that the two suspects had colluded to tie up and abuse Kai Kai.
In addition, they provided him with only one meal of meagre, poor-quality food each day.
During the initial court hearings, the pair confessed to their crimes.
Source: TTV News
However, during the third hearing last month, the sisters retracted their confessions, admitting only to tying up Kai Kai and striking the soles of his feet. They also claimed the boy sustained the injuries after falling.
They denied all other accusations, including：
- Extracting teeth and fingernails
- Pushing him into walls
- Beating him with tools
- Serving him stale food in cockroach-infested paper cups
- Feeding leftovers from refrigerator
- Providing only one meal per day
Over 300 citizens protested outside court & demanded death penalty for caregivers
On Wednesday (19 March), over 300 citizens gathered outside the Taipei District Court, holding white flowers and signs reading “Zero Tolerance for Child Abuse” while demanding the death penalty for the implicated carers.
A petition calling for stricter penalties for child abuse cases has also gained significant traction online.
Source: @jj4567810 on Threads
Relatives of the victim have spoken out, describing the horrific conditions Kai Kai endured under the babysitters’ care.
They shared that he was never allowed to sleep lying down, constantly tied up, and only given “garbage water” in paper cups daily.
Family members also revealed that the Liu sisters had a history of abusing children, though previous victims were allegedly returned to their parents before they suffered fatal harm.
They claim that social workers colluded with the babysitters to prevent them from meeting with Kai Kai, citing privacy concerns.
Source: HK01
Chen (surname transliterated from Chinese), a social worker, has also been accused of falsifying records about the child’s well-being.
Authorities have launched an investigation to determine whether the social worker’s visits to the child were falsified.
More than 130,000 people demand heavier penalties for child abuse crimes
Meanwhile, more than 130,000 netizens have signed a petition, calling for harsher penalties for child abuse in Taiwan.
Source: 公共政策網路參與平台
Legislator Hung Meng-kai has also voiced support for handing out the death penalty to those responsible for child abuse leading to death.
A proposal, supported by Taiwanese netizens, suggests that those who abuse children to death should face life imprisonment without parole or the death penalty, while individuals who inflict harm on minors should serve a minimum of 10 years in jail.
The proposal has passed the initial verification stage and has now entered the endorsement phase, with over 100,000 endorsements gathered as of Wednesday (19 March).
Also read: 2-year-old boy in Taiwan dies after months of severe abuse, father jailed 18 years
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Featured image adapted from Bastille Post and @jj4567810 on Threads.
