The Supreme Court has rejected an appeal from a woman in Kaohsiung sentenced to seven years and six months in prison over the death of her 5-month-old child, who was left home alone for two days in 2019.
The 21-year-old defendant, surnamed Yang (?), was the sole caregiver of the 5-month-old child, who had been diagnosed with ventricular septal defect, a congenital heart condition often associated with malnutrition.
On the night of Dec. 25, 2019, Yang went out with her older daughter, leaving the younger child at home alone without having made any arrangements for someone to feed or care for her, according to the High Court.
When Yang returned home two days later at 5:35 p.m. on Dec. 27, she found her daughter had stopped breathing but waited until 6:23 p.m. to call an ambulance, the court said.
After a forensic medical examination, it was determined that congenital heart disease was the leading cause of the infant’s death, coupled with rhabdomyolysis and acute tubular necrosis, both of which are associated with acute kidney failure.
The Ciaotou District Court had originally sentenced Yang to six years in prison for abandonment resulting in death, but the verdict was appealed by prosecutors on the grounds that it was too light.
The Ciaotou District Prosecutors Office determined that despite Yang’s awareness of her daughter’s health problems and need to be given medication on a regular basis, she had intentionally abandoned her daughter.
As a result, prosecutors appealed the verdict, asking the Taiwan High Court to increase Yang’s sentence by half in accordance with the Protection of Children and Youths Welfare and Rights Act.
The High Court’s Kaohsiung Branch Court determined that Yang had routinely neglected to feed her on a regular basis, thus failing to fulfill even the most basic duties as a parent.
However, the court said it would only increase Yang’s sentence to 7.5 years as she had confessed to the crime and reported the infant’s death to the police.
The Supreme Court’s ruling is final.
Source: Focus Taiwan News Channel