No evidence of outside force in Tainan bullying case: Autopsy

Taipei, March 3 (CNA) An autopsy conducted on a 13-year-old boy who died last week following alleged school bullying found no signs of external force, though the results of a toxicology report are still pending, Tainan prosecutors said Monday.

Officials from the Tainan District Prosecutors Office and a specialist from the Ministry of Justice's Institute of Forensic Medicine conducted the autopsy Monday morning at a mortuary in Tainan's South District.

At around 1 p.m., deputy chief prosecutor Tsai Tsung-sheng (蔡宗聖) told CNA that they had made a preliminary determination that no suspicious or external force was involved in the boy's death.

As for the possibility of a toxic reaction, the forensic specialist took samples of the boy's hair and blood, which will need to be sent for analysis, Tsai said, adding that the cause of death will only be confirmed after the results came back.

The case in question came to light last on Feb. 27 after the boy's mother posted on Facebook that her son had died on Feb. 24. She said a subsequent blood test conducted by a hospital had found "signs of poisoning from a toxic substance."

The mother also claimed that some students have said her son was bullied for a long time and even taken to the restroom by other classmates who allegedly force-fed him drug-laced coffee powder.

In a separate social media post the same day, the school principal said the student had not gone to school since Feb. 20 due to being unwell, and that he only later learned from the boy's parents that he had died at the hospital.

Two students suspected of involvement in the case also underwent several urine tests for illicit drugs, all of which came back negative, according to the principal.

Tainan City government statement

On Feb. 28, the Tainan City government published a timeline of events leading up to the boy's death based on records from Houbi Junior High School, where he was enrolled in seventh grade.

It said the boy, surnamed Lin (林), had been diagnosed and begun taking medication for ADHD in early January, after being referred for behavioral issues at school.

On Jan. 23, Lin got into an argument with a female classmate, after which a male student, surnamed Yang (楊), confronted and threatened him in the bathroom.

Yang received a warning after the incident, but both he and the female student were later accused of bullying Lin by his family.

After the Lunar New Year holiday, Lin attended school normally from Feb. 5-12. On Feb. 13, he was called in sick by his family, and the school recommended that he immediately seek medical attention. He was also referred to a guidance counselor, school records showed.

According to the records, Lin missed school again on Feb. 17 and 18 in a state of severe emotional distress.

He was taken to see a doctor by his grandmother on Feb. 20 and by his homeroom teacher on Feb. 21, and had also been scheduled for a follow-up appointment on Feb. 24, the school said.

According to media reports, Lin was taken to the hospital at around 3 a.m. on Feb. 24 after experiencing convulsions, and died later that morning.