Death penalty advocates march in Taipei ahead of child abuse verdict

Taipei, Jan. 11 (CNA) Around 300 people marched in Taipei on Sunday against what they called Taiwan's "de facto abolition of the death penalty," ahead of an appeal-court verdict in the case of two sisters convicted of killing a 1-year-old foster child in their care.

One of the march's organizers, the parent-led group Kids' Magic Carpet, said stalled executions and reduced sentences in serious felony cases had eroded public confidence in the justice system, arguing that lighter punishments for violent crimes involving minors exposed children to risks that were "difficult to undo."

According to organizers, many participants were drawn to the march by the case of "Kai Kai" (剴剴), a 1-year-old foster child who died in December 2023 after suffering prolonged physical abuse while in the care of a nanny surnamed Liu (劉).

In May last year, the Taipei District Court sentenced Liu and her sister -- who was also involved in the abuse -- to life imprisonment and 18 years in prison, respectively. Both prosecutors and the defendants appealed the verdict.

Chanting "Protect children, oppose abolishing the death penalty," the marchers set off from near the Legislative Yuan in Taipei in the afternoon and proceeded along Ketagalan Boulevard outside the Presidential Office Building before ending at Liberty Square.

Jeffrey Hsieh, who attended the march with his 4-year-old son, said the two sisters should "pay with their lives," adding that he was not calling for their deaths out of vengeance, but wanted the punishment to serve as a deterrent to prevent similar cases from happening again.

As his son has just started kindergarten, Hsieh said he worries about the child's safety because he is often in the care of others, such as teachers and babysitters.

As both he and his wife work, the 40-year-old added, it is difficult to keep track of every detail of a child's day, and he urged the government to tighten oversight of child care providers.

Another marcher, Bella Chang, noted that after the Kai Kai case, the law was amended to allow the death penalty for the abuse of children under 7 that results in death, but whether such sentences are actually imposed still depends on judges.

"Judges in Taiwan rarely hand down such heavy sentences," she said, referring to the death penalty.

The mother of two added that even when a death sentence is imposed, the process can drag on for years and may still be overturned on appeal, making an execution unlikely.

In Taiwan, 36 people currently remain on death row after a prisoner was executed on Jan. 16, 2025, the country's first execution since April 2020.

The Taiwan High Court is scheduled to deliver its verdict in the Kai Kai appeal on Jan. 27.