Prosecutors detain mother suspected in deaths of sons aged 8, 3

Taipei, Feb. 1 (CNA) Taichung prosecutors on Saturday detained a woman suspected of killing her two sons, aged 8 and 3, by giving them an unknown medicine or drug.

The Taichung District Court approved a request to hold the suspect, surnamed Chen (陳), in incommunicado detention, due to the severity of the crime and the risk of the suspect trying to flee or collude with others, the Taichung District Prosecutors' Office said in a press release late Saturday.

Taichung police said they received a report at 1:31 a.m. Saturday about two children found without vital signs in an apartment building in Taichung's West District.

Police and paramedics who arrived at the scene sent the two boys, aged 8 and 3, to a hospital in the area where they were pronounced dead, while their mother was taken into protective custody.

Autopsies have been scheduled to determine the children's cause of death, prosecutors said.

News reports, citing anonymous police sources, said Chen had told her friend in a phone call that night that she had been considering suicide, prompting the friend to rush to Chen's home, where she found the two children without signs of life.

During interrogation on Saturday morning, Chen remained uncooperative and emotionally unstable, refusing to say if she had purposely drugged the children, and responding with "I don't know" or "I forgot" to many of the investigators' questions, United Daily News (UDN) reported.

According to the UDN report, Chen's 8-year-old son was from a marriage to her ex-husband, while the 3-year-old was from her relationship with her current boyfriend, who works at a barbeque restaurant and was not at home when the alleged murders took place.

If you are experiencing suicidal thoughts in Taiwan, please call the 1925, 1995, or 1980 hotlines for help.