Taichung Father Sentenced to 15 Years by National Lay Judge Court for Abusing 10-Month-Old Infant to Death by Stuffing Him in a Wooden Box

(Central News Agency reporter Su Muchun, Taichung 7th) A man surnamed Liao was accused of beating his 10-month-old son and stuffing him into a wooden box because he was unhappy with the infant''s crying. His ex-wife found the infant, who later died after being sent to the hospital. Prosecutors indicted Liao on charges of abusing a child to death. After deliberation by the Taichung District Court''s National Lay Judge Court, he was sentenced today to 15 years in prison. The verdict can be appealed. According to the prosecutor''s indictment, 27-year-old Liao and his 23-year-old ex-wife, Ms. Gan, were separated. Ms. Gan was raising a 2-year-old girl and a 10-month-old boy. On August 21, 2024 (ROC year 113), Ms. Gan brought her daughter and the infant from Nantou to live with Liao at his residence in Taichung''s East District. In the early hours of the next day, Liao, displeased with the infant''s crying, physically assaulted the infant with his bare hands, slapped him, grabbed his legs and hung him upside down, even hitting his head against the floor and walls, and then forced him to stand in a wooden box as punishment. It wasn''t until that afternoon that Ms. Gan opened the wooden box to find the infant''s body blackened, without breathing or heartbeat. The infant died after being rushed to the hospital. The hospital discovered unexplained injuries on the infant''s body and reported it to the police. When questioned by the police, both initially claimed the infant suffocated from sleeping on his stomach; however, after the police pointed out the infant''s injuries, Liao admitted to losing control and beating his son due to his crying. After investigation by the prosecutor, Liao was indicted on charges of abusing a child to death. The Taiwan Taichung District Court''s National Lay Judge Court heard the case for three consecutive days starting on the 5th. During the trial, Liao denied committing the crime, only admitting to putting the infant in the wooden box and claiming that the injuries on the infant''s body were unrelated to him. After deliberation, the collegiate panel announced today that Liao was found guilty of abusing a child to death and sentenced to 15 years in prison. The entire case can be appealed. (Editor: Wu Surou) 1150507