Nanny Duo Sentenced in Kai-Kai Abuse Death Case! Wang Hong-wei Reveals 'Key Judgment' and Slams: How Can Such Brutal Child Murder Avoid the Death Penalty?

The Supreme Court of Taiwan ruled on February 23, 2024, upholding life imprisonment for caregiver Liu Tsai-hsuan and an 18-year sentence for Liu Jo-lin in the abuse death of 1-year-old boy Kai-Kai. The court rejected their appeals, finalizing the verdict.

KMT legislator Wang Hong-wei posted on Facebook questioning why such a brutal murder of a toddler did not result in a death sentence. 'How can someone who cruelly tortured and killed a child avoid capital punishment? This shows our adult society has failed to protect children and deeply fails Kai-Kai,' she stated.

According to the ruling, sisters Liu Tsai-hsuan and Liu Jo-lin were entrusted by the Child Welfare League Foundation in August 2023 to care for 1-year-old Kai-Kai. From September 1 to December 23 of the same year, they allegedly subjected Kai-Kai to prolonged abuse, unlawful confinement, and physical harm.

On the evening of December 23, 2023, Kai-Kai began vomiting and showed severely reduced activity. He was rushed to the hospital but died in the early hours of December 24 from hypovolemic shock.

Wang Hong-wei described the abuse: the sisters fed Kai-Kai spoiled food and burnt leftovers in paper cups crawling with cockroaches, leaving him chronically malnourished, cold, and hungry.

When discovered, Kai-Kai had at least 42 injuries across his body, including broken teeth and genital injuries, ultimately dying from shock.

The case shocked society, prompting parents to take to the streets in protest. The opposition party swiftly pushed for legal amendments, introducing Article 272-1 to the Criminal Code: 'Murder of a Child Under 7,' which increases penalties by 50% for killing children under 7, with the most severe cases eligible for the death penalty or life imprisonment.

Article 286 was also revised to impose the death penalty, life imprisonment, or over 10 years in prison for abusing a child under 7 to the point of death.

However, all DPP legislators opposed the amendments. Former DPP legislator Shen Po-yang was exposed during the debate saying, 'From a criminological perspective, abuse does not necessarily cause harm,' sparking public shock and outrage.

Wang Hong-wei pointed out that the Supreme Court upheld the original verdict, finding no flaws in factual findings, legal application, or sentencing. This effectively confirmed the avoidance of the death penalty.

'What kind of society are this government and death penalty abolition groups giving us? A society where no matter how brutally a 1-year-and-10-month-old child is tortured, the perpetrators never face execution? This is society’s failure to protect children and a profound betrayal to Kai-Kai,' she condemned.