Taichung Toddler Death Case Prompts July Review Meeting by Taiwan's Ministry of Health and Welfare

(Central News Agency, Reporter Shen Peiyao, Taipei, June 5) The death of a 2-year-old girl in Taichung from alleged abuse by her mother's boyfriend has drawn comparisons to the previous "Kaikai case." Taiwan's Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW) stated today that it is compiling data, which will be reviewed by external experts, and plans to hold a central-level review meeting in July to clarify issues such as implementation effectiveness and necessary regulatory improvements.

The Taichung District Prosecutors Office has indicted a man surnamed Lin for虐待致死 (abuse resulting in death). According to the Taichung City Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Prevention Center, the child frequently moved residences. She was originally a case managed by Tainan City but later moved to Taichung. While the Taichung center notified Tainan, the tragedy still occurred during this process.

The cross-jurisdictional nature of the case has led to public质疑 that it is a repeat of the "Kaikai case." Minister of Health and Welfare Shih Chung-liang, speaking after a memorandum of understanding signing ceremony between the National Health Insurance Administration and Rotary International for a telemedicine project, provided an update to the media.

Shih stated that under the current mechanism, local governments conduct preliminary reviews of major child abuse incidents. If cross-city issues are involved, the central government leads a central-level meeting to clarify the situation. He said they are awaiting a more detailed report and cautioned against excessive speculation before the meeting, stating, "We will make a final determination after the report is released."

Director-General of the MOHW's Department of Protective Services, Kuo Tsai-jung, told media that Tainan City had invited Taichung City to participate in its recent review meeting. The MOHW has received the report from Tainan and will request supplementary information if it is deemed insufficient.

Kuo said that after the central government compiles sufficient data, it will first be sent to external experts for evaluation of systemic and policy improvements, with the goal of holding a central-level review meeting in July.

Kuo acknowledged that while the current system allows checking if a case is managed by another city or county, it requires an "active inquiry" to obtain this information. However, she noted that mechanisms like "centralized case handling" and "cross-jurisdictional division of labor principles" already exist and are continuously updated. The July meeting will discuss implementation effectiveness and whether regulations need to be supplemented. (Editor: Li Shuhua) 1150605