Taipei: More than 10,000 people gathered in Taipei on Saturday, calling on the government to improve child protection, an issue that was highlighted following the death of a 1-year-old boy in foster care due to alleged abuse in 2023.

According to Focus Taiwan, the protesters, wearing white t-shirts and holding white chrysanthemums, gathered on Ketagalan Boulevard in front of the Presidential Office, chanting slogans such as "Protect children" and "Zero tolerance for child abuse, harsh sentences without parole."

The rally, which started at 2 p.m., was organized by the Kai-Kai Online Moms Group. This group consists of concerned parents and other advocates for children's rights and welfare. Lee Yu-chun, who chaired the event, emphasized the need for the government to establish a child protection agency, similar to South Korea's, to coordinate efforts among prosecutors, police, and government departments.

Lee proposed the appointment of dedicated physicians to work closely with social services and the judiciary to create a response mechanism for handling child abuse cases. She also called for an amendment to Taiwan's Criminal Code to disallow parole in cases of "child abuse resulting in death" if the offender is sentenced to death or life imprisonment.

During the rally, the organizers announced that 84,467 petition letters calling for reform of Taiwan's child protection system had been collected and would be delivered to various government agencies.

The rally was organized in response to the tragic death of "Kai Kai" last December due to alleged abuse while awaiting adoption. Four months earlier, he had been placed in full-time foster care in Taipei with legally accredited caregiver Liu Tsai-hsuan and her sister Liu Juo-lin. Following the boy's death, the sisters were indicted on child abuse charges, and the Taipei District Court is expected to issue its verdict on May 13.

On the day of the rally, the Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW) issued a statement about ongoing efforts to establish a "dedicated child and youth affairs unit." While the scale and structure are still under discussion, Chang Hsiu-yuan, director-general of the MOHW's Department of Protective Services, stated that the unit aims to strengthen the protection of children and youth by enhancing administrative efficiency and fostering collaborative networks. Further information will be released as plans progress.