Police censured for handcuffing social worker in child abuse case

Taipei, March 14 (CNA) Taiwan's Control Yuan has censured the National Police Agency, the Taipei City Police Department, and a Taipei precinct for failing to properly supervise officers in their handling of a child abuse case last year.

In a press release Friday, the government watchdog criticized the improper use of restraints on a suspect and failure to uphold investigative confidentiality in the case related to a social worker surnamed Chen (陳).

The case involved two sisters who worked as foster caregivers and were accused of abusing a 1-year-old boy, leading to his death in late 2023.

Chen was under investigation on suspicion of falsifying reports of visits to where the two sisters were taking care of the boy and negligence leading to the boy's death, and she was handcuffed while being transferred for questioning on March 12, 2024.

The decision to cuff her in full view of the media sparked a public outcry.

According to a Control Yuan report, police deliberately planned Chen's transfer route to maximize media exposure and even persuaded her to briefly pose for photographers.

Although police and prosecutors initially justified the handcuffing by citing security concerns, a supervisor from the welfare group Chen belonged to stated that police did it explicitly to accommodate media demands, the report said.

According to the report, officers violated multiple legal regulations regarding criminal procedure, the use of restraints and confidentiality in investigations, while the prosecutor in charge also failed to remove Chen's handcuffs during questioning, breaching judicial procedures.

Though the Control Yuan has little power to back up its censures with enforceable action, the body did request the agencies involved to re-evaluate the case and take appropriate action against the people found to have engaged in the misconduct.