Taichung City Government said Wednesday it would introduce more stringent punishments for individuals found guilty of child abuse after being criticized for imposing the minimum fine of NT$60,000 (US$2,153) in related cases.
The city government made the statement after the New Power Party (NPP) criticized it for being too lenient in several cases of child abuse at daycare centers in the city.
The NPP said at a press conference earlier in the day that since Taichung Mayor Lu Shiow-yen (???) took office in December 2018, at least seven cases of alleged child abuse by caregivers at the city’s daycare centers have been reported.
The NPP criticized the city government for imposing fines of only NT$60,000 or no punishment at all in the cases.
Chen Kun-huang (???), Deputy Director-General of the city’s Social Affairs Bureau, told CNA the bureau handles such cases based on the city’s uniform punishment standards for dealing with matters related to violations of the Protection of Children and Youths Welfare and Rights Act.
The last revision of the standards was made in 2019, according to Chen.
Under the Act, those who violate regulations pertaining to the physical and mental abuse of children and youths at children’s welfare institutes or care centers can be fined NT$60,000 to NT$600,000.
Lu has directed a review of the punishment standards to tighten penalties for offenders, Chen said.
The Social Affairs Bureau will work with the Legal Affairs Bureau to revise the punishment rules, he added.
Mayor Lu said Wednesday the city continues to investigate allegations of child abuse by staff at the now-defunct Hwa Shin Infant Care Center in the city’s Nantun District.
The spotlight was turned on Hwa Shin last year when a caregiver surnamed Huang was fined NT$60,000 and banned from working in any daycare center for 10 years, after she was found to have physically abused a young child there on Feb. 9, 2021.
Hwa Shin was also fined NT$60,000 for negligence and instructed to rectify its problems. It suspended operations in August last year, according to the Social Affairs Bureau.
On Feb. 8 this year, the bureau received another complaint that a second child at Hwa Shin had suffered abuse in 2021, but the matter was not made public until Feb. 18, when several parents held a press conference to speak about the alleged problem at Hwa Shin.
Related: Taichung city to investigate daycare center on allegations of child abuse (Feb. 18)
The parents provided footage of multiple teachers taking part in abuse and have accused the bureau of inaction.
The Hwa Shin child abuse case continues to snowball as another three cases of alleged child abuse during a 10-day period last year were recently uncovered, according to a statement released Monday by the bureau.
A review of surveillance footage taken at Hwa Shin from Jan. 27 to Feb. 9, 2021 showed three children apparently being abused by two caregivers, the bureau said.
Source: Focus Taiwan News Channel