Nanny sisters indicted for abusing 2 more children

Taipei, Jan. 20 (CNA) Taipei prosecutors on Monday indicted two sisters and formerly registered nannies surnamed Liu (劉) for allegedly abusing another two young children in their care, following an indictment last year for torturing a 1-year-old boy to death.

The Liu sisters were indicted in April 2024 on child abuse charges in the case of a 1-year-old boy nicknamed "Kai Kai (剴剴)" who was allegedly beaten to death in December 2023, according to the Taipei District Prosecutors Office. The case is still being heard by Taipei District Court.

Kai Kai died on Dec. 24, 2023, less than four months after the Child Welfare League Foundation (CWLF) placed him in full-time foster care with the older sister Liu Tsai-hsuan (劉彩萱), a legally accredited home-based foster carer in Taipei, according to the city government.

During their investigation prosecutors found that the older sister had been caring for a 6-month-old infant surnamed Pan (潘) since April 2023, and the younger sister Liu Juo-lin (劉若琳) had been looking after a newborn sunamed Tsai (蔡) through the CWLF from the same time. The Liu sisters often supported each other or jointly took care of the two children, the prosecutors office said in a statement.

When the younger sister was taking care of Tsai on Sept. 3, 2023, she allegedly did nothing when another child in her care surnamed Lin (林) pressed his feet against Tsai's head and tightened the lanyard holding the pacifier around the baby's neck.

She also failed to take action when Lin flicked Tsai's eyes, nose, face and neck, causing Tsai to burst into tears. Instead of stopping Lin, Liu Juo-lin recorded the scene on video and made fun of the incident, according to the prosecutors office.

In October 2023, when the younger Liu went into hospital for surgery, her older sister Liu Tsai-hsuan took care of Tsai. On Oct. 29, she allegedly tied Tsai's hands and legs to a chair.

The prosecutors office stated that in September 2023, the Liu sisters made Pan stand with one foot on a chair and the other on the ground, so the 6-month-old could neither get up nor get down, inflicting pain on the infant and making the child cry. When the frightened Pan turned around to reach out for help, the two sisters ignored the young child.

In addition, Pan's mother told the prosecutors that she found her child's anus was severely swollen, blistered, and ulcerated after Liu Tsai-hsuan took care of him. The mother repeatedly reminded the older sister that she should change Pan's diapers more often, but the baby carer failed to do so. Despite a doctor's warnings and Pan's mother's repeated reminders, Liu still did not improve the way she cared for Pan, according to the prosecutors office.

The prosecutors office concluded its investigation on Monday and charged the Liu sisters with obstructing the natural development of young children, coercion and inflicting injury, while seeking heavy sentences in accordance with the Protection of Children and Youths Welfare and Rights Act.