Taipei, May 10 (CNA) Child abusers in Taiwan will face harsher penalties than ever before, including potential life sentences for the death of a child as a result of the abuse, after a Criminal Code amendment was passed by the Legislative Yuan on Friday.
The amendment to Article 286 of the Criminal Code stipulates that a person will be subject to life imprisonment or a sentence of more than 10 years for abuse resulting in a child's death and between five years and 12 years in prison in cases where the child is seriously injured.
Currently, Article 286 only mandates a prison term of not more than five years for maltreating a minor under the age of 16 or impairing the minor's mental or physical health or health development without stipulating penalties for more serious offenses.
The new amendment will also protect minors under 18 instead of 16.
Harsher penalties were also be imposed on people who intend to make a profit by committing child abuse.
The new amendment stipulates a jail term for offenders ranging from 12 years to life imprisonment if the minor dies and at least 10 years behind bars if a minor is seriously injured.
At present, either offense carries a minimum five-year sentence and a fine of not more than NT$3 million (US$96,890).
The amended law also includes the definition of abuse, which refers to someone who harms another in any way that is "violent or inhumane."
The lawmakers did not reach agreement, however, on whether or not a person guilty of the above offenses should face the death penalty or should be eligible for parole.
The amendment came after a string of child-abuse cases earlier this year that received widespread media coverage and nationwide attention.
The cases included a 19-month-old toddler allegedly beaten to death by her mother and other relatives; a 12-year-old boy shown in a video being beaten by his father for failing to bring home hot sauce with a meal he bought from a street stall; and a daycare center involved in physical abuse of toddlers under its care.
According to the Ministry of Health and Welfare, it received 54,597 reports of child abuse in 2016 and 59,912 in 2017.
Opposition Kuomintang caucus secretary-general John Wu said Friday the number of children who died as a result of abuse totaled 23 in 2017, almost twice as many as in 2016, citing Ministry of Health and Welfare figures.
It shows that regulations aimed at protecting children have been far from adequate, Wu said.
Praising the amendment as a Mother's Day gift, Legislative Speaker Su Jia-chyuan said that while the new provisions seek to ensure that children grow up safely, it is also the responsibility of the government and every adult to protect children from harm.
