2 preschool teachers indicted over child abuse in New Taipei

New Taipei, July 23 (CNA) The New Taipei District Prosecutors Office has indicted two preschool teachers, surnamed Chiang (江) and Chang (張), suspected of abusing children in their care at a preschool in New Taipei's Banqiao District.

Prosecutors said that, under the Child and Juvenile Welfare and Rights Protection Act, any criminal sentence imposed on the defendants would be increased by one-half.

A third teacher, surnamed Kao (高), was not indicted because prosecutors said they could not establish criminal intent sufficient to support charges of abuse or coercion.

According to prosecutors, Chiang, who was an assistant teacher at the time, slapped a child on the head in 2022.

Beginning in March 2024, she also committed a series of inappropriate acts against three children. Those acts included slapping the backs of their heads, kicking them, tugging on their clothing and causing them to fall, forcibly removing their pants, and stepping on their backs to wake them up.

Prosecutors also alleged that Chiang made a child stand on stacked chairs and prevented them from getting down, and once pulled a sleeping mat out from under a child, causing the child to roll off the bed.

Chang allegedly struck children with blankets or books and forced water into a child's mouth by pinching the child's nose.

However, prosecutors said that while Chiang's and Chang's actions exceeded the bounds of reasonable discipline, the incidents generally lasted only a few seconds to several minutes and were not prolonged. They also found no medical evidence showing the children suffered physical injuries or psychological harm.

As a result, the two were indicted on coercion charges but not on charges related to causing injury or harming a child's physical or mental development.

Kao was accused of pulling a child, pinching the child's face and shaking the child to make the child eat. She denied the allegations, saying she had merely held the child's face while assisting with feeding and had not pinched or struck the child.

After reviewing the evidence, prosecutors concluded that Kao's disciplinary actions were inappropriate but not to the extent of criminal coercion. They also noted that she had reached a settlement with the child's parents.

The case came to light in 2024.

In July 2024, New Taipei's Department of Education imposed administrative penalties on the three teachers after conducting administrative investigations.

Chiang was fined NT$600,000 (US$18,581) and permanently banned from working in early childhood education.

Chang was fined NT$300,000 and banned from the profession for three years, while Kao was fined NT$30,000.

The department said Thursday that it had also ordered the preschool to stop enrolling new students for one year beginning in July 2024.

The preschool ceased operations in April, the department added.