New Taipei Kindergarten Alleged Improper Discipline: Prosecutor Finds Insufficient Evidence for Injury Charges, Non-Indictment Issued
An assistant teacher and director at a New Taipei City kindergarten, accused of improper discipline leading to child injury, were not indicted by prosecutors due to insufficient evidence of causation and intent. However, the Education Bureau stated that the judicial non-indictment does not affect administrative accountability.
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- 📰 Published: April 27, 2026 at 19:19
- 🔍 Collected: April 27, 2026 at 19:31 (12 min after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 27, 2026 at 21:33 (2h 1m after Collected)
Central News Agency
(Central News Agency reporter Tsao Ya-yen, New Taipei, 27th) Parents accused an assistant teacher at a New Taipei kindergarten of pushing children to the ground and hitting their arms, among other acts. Prosecutors investigating the case found it difficult to establish a causal link between the assistant teacher and the children's injuries, as well as an intent to harm, thus issuing a non-indictment due to insufficient evidence. The Education Bureau stated that the judicial non-indictment does not affect administrative accountability.
According to the non-indictment document, parents accused an assistant teacher surnamed Zeng at a kindergarten in Tucheng District, New Taipei City, of repeatedly physically punishing, pushing, and pulling children in the classroom since September 2024. She also allegedly threatened children not to tell their parents about the physical punishments. On July 21 last year, the assistant teacher allegedly pushed a child off a chair to the ground with her bare hands, and on July 24, she allegedly slapped the child's upper right arm and forehead. The child subsequently exhibited stress behaviors such as nail-picking and finger-biting, along with adjustment disorder symptoms like anxiety and depression.
Furthermore, the parents believed that the director, surnamed Xiao, failed to report the assistant teacher's alleged misconduct despite knowing about it, and therefore filed charges against both for criminal assault and endangering the physical and mental development of minors.
Following an investigation by the New Taipei District Prosecutors Office, both Assistant Teacher Zeng and Director Xiao denied the allegations during the investigation. Assistant Teacher Zeng claimed that on July 21, she was wiping tables and asked the child to step back. On July 24, she lightly patted the child's arm to urge them to finish eating quickly. She admitted her movements might have been forceful but stated the child's injuries were self-inflicted from falling, and she never told the child not to tell their parents.
After reviewing interrogation records and surveillance footage, prosecutors found that Assistant Teacher Zeng indeed pulled the child's chair back, causing them to fall, and also slapped the child's right arm once. Her actions were indeed rough and inappropriate. However, considering the brief duration of the acts and that the assistant teacher's intention was likely to prevent the child from hitting a table corner and to encourage eating, it was difficult to deem her actions substantially illegal or to find intent to endanger the child's physical and mental development or coercion.
Additionally, according to testimonies from other teachers at the kindergarten, children occasionally couldn't sit still and would run around, hitting or falling, or getting injured while playing with other classmates. Assistant Teacher Zeng's interactions with children were generally normal. Therefore, prosecutors found it difficult to establish a causal link between the child's injuries and Assistant Teacher Zeng. Moreover, although the child was diagnosed with adjustment disorder with anxiety symptoms in September and October last year, it could not be determined to have a causal relationship with Assistant Teacher Zeng.
Regarding Director Xiao, other teachers testified that the director regularly inspected classrooms and promoted the prohibition of improper discipline, and there was no evidence to prove that the director knew about Assistant Teacher Zeng's actions beforehand. Prosecutors determined that the director had fulfilled her management and supervision duties.
Prosecutors concluded that while Assistant Teacher Zeng did engage in improper disciplinary actions such as pulling the child and slapping their arm, these actions did not meet the requirements for charges of injury, coercion, or endangering the physical and mental development of minors. Assistant Teacher Zeng's actions were investigated by the New Taipei City Government and deemed "improper disciplinary conduct not constituting a serious offense," leading to administrative penalties. No other cases of children being harmed were found subsequently. Based on the principle of 'favoring the accused in case of doubt,' the charges were dismissed due to insufficient evidence.
The New Taipei City Education Bureau responded that it launched an administrative investigation in July last year after receiving parental complaints and confirmed Assistant Teacher Zeng's improper disciplinary conduct in September. The judicial non-indictment does not affect the Education Bureau's administrative accountability according to law.
The Education Bureau explained that Assistant Teacher Zeng was fined a total of NT$60,000 for working in childcare services without proper qualifications and for engaging in improper disciplinary behavior. The kindergarten's owner was fined NT$72,000 for illegally employing unqualified personnel and management negligence. Assistant Teacher Zeng resigned on August 30 last year and is currently not employed in any childcare service institution in New Taipei. Director Xiao was not listed as an unsuitable person, but the kindergarten's management responsibility was administratively penalized according to law. (Editor: Chen Ren-hua) 1150427
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(Central News Agency reporter Tsao Ya-yen, New Taipei, 27th) Parents accused an assistant teacher at a New Taipei kindergarten of pushing children to the ground and hitting their arms, among other acts. Prosecutors investigating the case found it difficult to establish a causal link between the assistant teacher and the children's injuries, as well as an intent to harm, thus issuing a non-indictment due to insufficient evidence. The Education Bureau stated that the judicial non-indictment does not affect administrative accountability.
According to the non-indictment document, parents accused an assistant teacher surnamed Zeng at a kindergarten in Tucheng District, New Taipei City, of repeatedly physically punishing, pushing, and pulling children in the classroom since September 2024. She also allegedly threatened children not to tell their parents about the physical punishments. On July 21 last year, the assistant teacher allegedly pushed a child off a chair to the ground with her bare hands, and on July 24, she allegedly slapped the child's upper right arm and forehead. The child subsequently exhibited stress behaviors such as nail-picking and finger-biting, along with adjustment disorder symptoms like anxiety and depression.
Furthermore, the parents believed that the director, surnamed Xiao, failed to report the assistant teacher's alleged misconduct despite knowing about it, and therefore filed charges against both for criminal assault and endangering the physical and mental development of minors.
Following an investigation by the New Taipei District Prosecutors Office, both Assistant Teacher Zeng and Director Xiao denied the allegations during the investigation. Assistant Teacher Zeng claimed that on July 21, she was wiping tables and asked the child to step back. On July 24, she lightly patted the child's arm to urge them to finish eating quickly. She admitted her movements might have been forceful but stated the child's injuries were self-inflicted from falling, and she never told the child not to tell their parents.
After reviewing interrogation records and surveillance footage, prosecutors found that Assistant Teacher Zeng indeed pulled the child's chair back, causing them to fall, and also slapped the child's right arm once. Her actions were indeed rough and inappropriate. However, considering the brief duration of the acts and that the assistant teacher's intention was likely to prevent the child from hitting a table corner and to encourage eating, it was difficult to deem her actions substantially illegal or to find intent to endanger the child's physical and mental development or coercion.
Additionally, according to testimonies from other teachers at the kindergarten, children occasionally couldn't sit still and would run around, hitting or falling, or getting injured while playing with other classmates. Assistant Teacher Zeng's interactions with children were generally normal. Therefore, prosecutors found it difficult to establish a causal link between the child's injuries and Assistant Teacher Zeng. Moreover, although the child was diagnosed with adjustment disorder with anxiety symptoms in September and October last year, it could not be determined to have a causal relationship with Assistant Teacher Zeng.
Regarding Director Xiao, other teachers testified that the director regularly inspected classrooms and promoted the prohibition of improper discipline, and there was no evidence to prove that the director knew about Assistant Teacher Zeng's actions beforehand. Prosecutors determined that the director had fulfilled her management and supervision duties.
Prosecutors concluded that while Assistant Teacher Zeng did engage in improper disciplinary actions such as pulling the child and slapping their arm, these actions did not meet the requirements for charges of injury, coercion, or endangering the physical and mental development of minors. Assistant Teacher Zeng's actions were investigated by the New Taipei City Government and deemed "improper disciplinary conduct not constituting a serious offense," leading to administrative penalties. No other cases of children being harmed were found subsequently. Based on the principle of 'favoring the accused in case of doubt,' the charges were dismissed due to insufficient evidence.
The New Taipei City Education Bureau responded that it launched an administrative investigation in July last year after receiving parental complaints and confirmed Assistant Teacher Zeng's improper disciplinary conduct in September. The judicial non-indictment does not affect the Education Bureau's administrative accountability according to law.
The Education Bureau explained that Assistant Teacher Zeng was fined a total of NT$60,000 for working in childcare services without proper qualifications and for engaging in improper disciplinary behavior. The kindergarten's owner was fined NT$72,000 for illegally employing unqualified personnel and management negligence. Assistant Teacher Zeng resigned on August 30 last year and is currently not employed in any childcare service institution in New Taipei. Director Xiao was not listed as an unsuitable person, but the kindergarten's management responsibility was administratively penalized according to law. (Editor: Chen Ren-hua) 1150427
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The text, images, and videos on this website may not be reproduced, publicly broadcast, publicly transmitted, or used without authorization.