An 80-year-old woman in Taipei was sentenced to 2 years and 6 months in prison after she killed her severely disabled son, whom she had cared for alone for more than five decades.
The court described the case as a “tragic burden of long-term care” and even suggested that the President consider granting her a special pardon.
50 years of exhausting care
According to UDN Taiwan, court documents stated that the woman, surnamed Liu, lived in Songshan District with her adult son and a foreign caregiver.
Her son became paralysed and unable to speak after suffering complications from a childhood vaccination.
Since then, Liu had taken care of him around the clock.
In April 2023, Liu was hospitalised after contracting COVID-19.
When she returned home, she found that her son had also been infected and was suffering from a persistent high fever.
As her own health weakened — she had suffered falls, bone fractures, and had several heart stents — she began worrying that if she died first, her son would be left with no one to take care of him.
Killed son during caregiver’s break
On May 12, 2023, while the caregiver stepped out to wash up, Liu entered her son’s room and locked the door.
She placed a red packet containing NT$10,000 (Approx. RM1,330) into his mouth, hoping he would “leave peacefully”.
She then covered his nose and mouth with a towel and tape.
She sat by the bed crying until he stopped breathing.
Police arrived shortly after and confirmed the man had died of suffocation.
Liu later admitted to the act, saying she wanted to end his suffering.
Court acknowledges years of hardship
The Taipei District Court noted that Liu had cared for her son with great dedication, as shown by his clean clothes, maintained hygiene, and lack of bedsores.
The judges recognised that the long years of care had taken a deep toll on her mental and physical health.
Although the court reduced her sentence under Article 59 of the Criminal Code, it could not apply a further reduction because she was not yet 80 years old at the time of the incident.
She was sentenced to 2 years and 6 months in prison for domestic homicide.
In an unusual move, the court wrote in its judgment that the President should consider a special pardon due to the “deeply sympathetic circumstances”.
Lawyer calls it a painful tragedy
According to Storm Media, lawyer Deng Xiangquan commented on Facebook that the case reflected a heartbreaking reality for caregivers.
He praised the judge for acknowledging the mother’s suffering and urged President Lai Ching-te to consider the court’s request for clemency.
Appeal hearing held
During a recent High Court hearing, the judge asked about the son’s daily condition.
Liu said her son could only respond with his eyes and needed to be fed four times a day.
He could not express hunger, and the family only knew when his body became weak.
The case is currently under appeal.
