Mother receives 30-year sentence for killing 2 children amid custody dispute

Taipei, July 2 (CNA) A woman was sentenced to 30 years in prison Thursday for killing her two children, a 9‑year‑old boy and an infant daughter, amid a custody dispute with her husband during divorce talks, authorities said.

The Miaoli District Court handed Wu (吳) 19 years for the boy's death and 18 years and 10 months for the girl's, resulting in a combined 30‑year term. The ruling is subject to appeal.

Wu and her husband, surnamed Liu (劉), began divorce discussions in February last year, but Wu became distressed over the custody dispute and being denied access to her children who remained with her husband's family, the court said.

During a holiday in April last year, Wu was allowed to take her son, but not her infant daughter, who was being looked after by a nanny, the court said in a news release.

Feeling hopeless, Wu conceived a murder‑suicide plan, suffocating her son as he slept at 6 a.m. on April 7, then taking her infant daughter from the nanny and killing her the same way at home, before attempting suicide by slashing her neck, wrists and chest, the court said.

After learning Wu had taken their daughter and could not be reached, Liu rushed home, found both children dead, and called for an ambulance for Wu, who was still alive, according to the court release.

In determining the sentence, the court said Wu was convicted of intentional homicide of children, which carries a penalty of more than 12 years under the Criminal Code, and was given an aggravated sentence due to the severity of the crime.

Wu remains in custody after Thursday's ruling.

The court determined Wu was of sound mind and found a life sentence unnecessary, believing instead that a prison term combined with counseling could correct her behavior.