In Taiwan, a Kaohsiung babysitter surnamed Song, who ran a popular parenting Facebook page, was involved in fatally striking and violently throwing a 2-year-old boy. During investigations, prosecutors and police also discovered that Song had abused another boy under the age of one by throwing and dropping him. In the first trial, she was sentenced to 2 years in prison. The Kaohsiung Branch of the Taiwan High Court rejected Song’s appeal and upheld the original verdict.
Song, who ran a Facebook page to share parenting experiences, often posted about farming, camping, and cultural exploration, creating short videos. Judging from the photos and text, her content appeared quite positive and warm, amassing thousands of followers. However, she abused and fatally injured a 2-year-old boy. After the news broke, a flood of netizens criticized her child abuse. The case was prosecuted by the Qiaotou District Prosecutors Office for crimes including abuse of a child resulting in harm to physical and mental development leading to death, and intentional bodily harm causing death by an adult against a child. The case is currently being tried at the Qiaotou District Court.
Further investigation found that Song held a qualified babysitter’s license and was employed from June 1, 2024, to care for a boy under one year old. Due to poor emotional control, she abused the infant for six consecutive days, including intentionally causing him to fall onto a floor mat repeatedly, throwing him onto the sofa, and making his head and body hit against walls and bed boards at her residence in Zuoying District, Kaohsiung. The baby’s mother later found unexplained bruises on his face, abdomen, and chest, and noticed he became extremely anxious and frequently woke up crying in terror at night, prompting her to report the abuse to police.
During the investigation by the Qiaotou District Prosecutors Office, Song admitted her actions. Prosecutors criticized Song for being a professional babysitter but failing to provide a safe environment and, instead, subjecting a defenseless baby to violence, which constitutes “abuse.” The trial judge at the Qiaotou District Court considered that Song, as a babysitter, betrayed the trust of parents, and her actions should be condemned. As the parents were unwilling to settle, the court sentenced Song to two years in prison for the crime of adults intentionally injuring children.
Song appealed, claiming the sentence was too harsh, but the Kaohsiung Branch of the Taiwan High Court found the original trial’s findings and application of the law appropriate, rejected her appeal, and upheld the original sentence. The case is still open to further appeal.
Further investigation found that Song held a qualified babysitter’s license and was employed from June 1, 2024, to care for a boy under one year old. Due to poor emotional control, she abused the infant for six consecutive days, including intentionally causing him to fall onto a floor mat repeatedly, throwing him onto the sofa, and making his head and body hit against walls and bed boards at her residence in Zuoying District, Kaohsiung. The baby’s mother later found unexplained bruises on his face, abdomen, and chest, and noticed he became extremely anxious and frequently woke up crying in terror at night, prompting her to report the abuse to police.
During the investigation by the Qiaotou District Prosecutors Office, Song admitted her actions. Prosecutors criticized Song for being a professional babysitter but failing to provide a safe environment and, instead, subjecting a defenseless baby to violence, which constitutes “abuse.” The trial judge at the Qiaotou District Court considered that Song, as a babysitter, betrayed the trust of parents, and her actions should be condemned. As the parents were unwilling to settle, the court sentenced Song to two years in prison for the crime of adults intentionally injuring children.
Song appealed, claiming the sentence was too harsh, but the Kaohsiung Branch of the Taiwan High Court found the original trial’s findings and application of the law appropriate, rejected her appeal, and upheld the original sentence. The case is still open to further appeal.