Kaohsiung man could face stiffer child abuse penalty under revised law

Kaohsiung, Nov. 13 (CNA) Kaohsiung prosecutors have indicted a man on child abuse charges for actions that included slamming a 4-year-old boy's head against a wall and leaving him in a coma, and are seeking a sentence of 12 years in jail under tougher sentencing requirements.

According to the indictment issued Thursday by the Kaohsiung District Prosecutors Office, the 26-year-old suspect surnamed Cheng (鄭) allegedly abused his girlfriend's two sons, aged four and nine, under the pretense of "disciplining" or "playing" with them between February and September this year.

The case came to light after the younger boy was rushed to a hospital in a coma on Sept. 18, prosecutors said.

Medical workers suspected abuse upon finding multiple bruises across the boy's body in addition to severe brain injuries, prompting them to alert police and Kaohsiung's Social Affairs Bureau.

Investigators determined that on Sept. 15, Cheng had repeatedly slammed the boy's head against a wall as punishment for misbehaving, prosecutors said.

Despite the child's complaints of headaches over the next three days, Cheng allegedly ignored him until the boy began vomiting and then lost consciousness on Sept. 18, prosecutors said.

Examinations of the two boys revealed extensive bruising on both of them, including large marks consistent with repeated beatings, leading prosecutors to charge Cheng for child abuse offenses.

The case is the first child abuse indictment handed down in Taiwan since amendments to Article 286 of the Criminal Code that increased penalties for such crimes took effect on Aug. 1, the office said.

Under the revised law, abuse of children under the age of 7 resulting in serious injury now carries a minimum prison term of 10 years, while those causing death could face the death penalty, life imprisonment, or a prison term of more than 10 years.

Previously, Article 286 stipulated that abuse against those under 18 resulting in death were punishable by life imprisonment or a jail sentence of at least 10 years, while those causing serious injury carried a prison term of five to 12 years. The penalty could be increased by half if the victim was under 7.

The amendments were among several changes to the Criminal Code introduced after the death of one-year-old Kai Kai (剴剴), who was tortured to death by two nannies in 2023.