A couple in Hualien have been sentenced for abusing a girl under the age of 7 who had been entrusted to their care, delivering belated but unambiguous accountability for the child victim and for child protection more broadly.

• The defendant surnamed Chen was asked by a friend in May and June last year to look after the girl, then a few years old, for around a dozen days, during which she beat the child with implements including a wooden back scratcher.
• The girl was left with fresh and older bruises, abrasions and cuts across her body, along with what appeared to be bite marks and burns; a medical examination at Tzu Chi Hospital documented the injuries and preserved the evidence.
• The defendant surnamed Chen also ordered the child to stand in punishment for 40 minutes while holding a large water bottle, which the court found sufficient to impair a young child's physical and mental development.
• The court sentenced the defendant surnamed Chen to one year and the defendant surnamed Tu to five months, with Tu's sentence reduced because of the smaller number of incidents involved, the fact that Tu worked away from home during the day, and the need to support two children.
• Although the pair expressed a willingness to enter mediation, the victim's side did not agree to a settlement and no compensation has been paid to date; the court found their remorse insufficient and granted neither a suspended sentence.

Outlook: The case may still be appealed, and whether compensation follows, along with the sentences handed down on appeal, will be the next points to watch.