Miaoli Woman Sentenced to 30 Years for Killing Her Two Young Children

(CNA, Miaoli County, July 2nd) A woman surnamed Wu in Miaoli, unhappy about not being able to take her children to live with her during divorce and custody negotiations with her husband, suffocated her 9-year-old son and infant daughter before attempting suicide. Wu was rescued, indicted, and subsequently sentenced to 30 years in prison by the Miaoli District Court for two counts of intentional homicide of a child. The verdict is appealable.

The Miaoli District Court announced its ruling today, sentencing Wu to 19 years imprisonment for the first count of intentional homicide of a child by an adult and 18 years and 10 months for the second count. The sentences are to be served concurrently, resulting in a total prison term of 30 years.

The case began in April 2025 when Wu argued with her husband over divorce and child custody. Her husband moved out and became concerned when he learned his wife had suddenly picked up their infant daughter from the nanny's home but was not responding to messages. He returned home to find his wife injured and his children lifeless. Upon arrival, emergency services confirmed the two children were deceased, and Wu was rushed to the hospital.

Police and prosecutors investigated and found that Wu was dissatisfied that during the holiday break, her husband had arranged for the children to stay with his parents, and after the holiday, she was only allowed to bring her son home, not her daughter. On the morning of April 7, 2025, she first suffocated her sleeping son, then went to the nanny's home under a pretext to take her daughter and killed her using the same method, before attempting suicide.

Following indictment by the Miaoli District Prosecutors Office, the court's panel of judges considered that Wu's ability to discern and control her actions was not lost or significantly diminished at the time of the offense. Although she was depressed due to the divorce proceedings and her inability to have her children live with her, she had access to support channels. Instead, driven by her own emotional pain and a desire for revenge against her husband and his family, she deprived the two children of their lives, causing immense pain to the family.

The verdict stated that as a mother, Wu had a duty to protect her children but instead violated their right to life, a grave breach of her protective obligation. Considering she has no prior criminal record and has reached a settlement with her husband during the trial, and that she must live with the remorse of having taken her children's lives day and night for the rest of her life, the court believes that with a period of imprisonment and counseling, she can correct her distorted perceptions and behaviors, and there is no need for permanent societal isolation. The court imposed the sentence requested by the prosecution, a combined 30 years of imprisonment. The case is still appealable. (Editor: Hsiao Po-wen) 1150702

Cherish life, suicide cannot solve problems, and life can always find a way out. If you need counseling or related assistance, please call the Ministry of Health and Welfare hotline "1925", the Life Line Association hotline "1995", or the "1980" hotline of the Zhang老師 Service Foundation.

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