Kaohsiung Parents Suspected of Abusing Infant, Causing Fatal Head Injuries; Case Referred to Citizen Judges

Central News Agency reporter Hung Hsueh-Kuang, Kaohsiung, June 16

A man surnamed Yen and a woman surnamed Li were caring for a male infant under three months old when the child died from severe head trauma. The prosecution initially filed charges of negligent homicide. However, after forensic reports indicated the injuries were likely caused by external force, the Kaohsiung District Court ruled the case should be reclassified as intentional injury resulting in death and transferred to a citizen judges panel for trial.

According to the criminal ruling by Kaohsiung District Court, on November 7, 2021, Yen and Li were caring for the infant at a rented apartment in Lingya District, Kaohsiung, when the baby’s head violently struck a hard object, resulting in a depressed comminuted fracture of the right parietal and temporal bones, a linear fracture extending from the left temporal to the left parietal bone, subdural hemorrhage, and multiple bruises.

Despite the injuries, the parents did not immediately seek medical help. On November 9, when they brought the infant to Juan Medical Center for vaccinations, doctors noticed bruising behind the ear and recommended hospitalization for further examination. However, the couple refused and took the baby home. The next afternoon, the infant lost consciousness and was rushed to the hospital, but died due to moderate axonal injuries in the brainstem and corpus callosum. After completing the investigation, the Kaohsiung District Prosecutors Office initially indicted both on charges of negligent homicide.

During the trial, however, the presiding judge noted that a three-month-old infant is unlikely to roll over independently while lying down, making self-inflicted falls rare. Even if a fall occurred, it would not typically cause such severe bilateral skull fractures, multiple bruises, and bleeding. The judge concluded the injuries were not accidental and likely resulted from intentional harm, indicating a high probability of child abuse by the caregivers.

Further review of the autopsy and forensic鉴定 report from the Institute of Forensic Medicine confirmed the cause of death was blunt force trauma. Forensic experts determined that the depressed comminuted fracture at the junction of the right parietal and temporal bones, combined with the absence of skin abrasions or contusions, could not have been caused by throwing a light toy or slapping with a hand. The nature of the injuries suggested the head had been forcefully compressed or struck—a scenario impossible for the infant to self-inflict and indicative of deliberate action by another person, pointing to intentional child injury resulting in death.

Based on these findings, the court determined the infant’s injuries were not a simple accident. The parents are now suspected of violating the Child and Youth Welfare and Rights Protection Act and of intentionally committing injury resulting in death against a minor. As the case meets the criteria under the Citizen Judges Act for 'intentional crimes resulting in death,' the court ruled to amend the original charges before the first trial and transferred the case to the specialized citizen judges division of the Kaohsiung District Court. (Editor: Chang Ming-Kun)