A man in Kaohsiung who physically abused his one-year-old infant son to the extent that he was left partially paralyzed has been sentenced to jail for eight years and 10 months, the Kaohsiung District Court announced on Saturday.
The 23-year-old father, identified only by his last name, Wu (吳), was found guilty of causing serious injury to a minor, the court said, adding that the infant’s brain injury was so serious it had paralyzed the left side of his body.
During the hearing, Wu said he did not know any better because he received the same kind of physical abuse when he was growing up.
Photo: Taipei Times
Although the father expressed remorse multiple times, the court said his actions had already caused irreparable damage to the infant, and that he blatantly lacked empathy. He chose to pick on someone weaker than himself, the court said, adding that it believed the man would repeat the same behavior in the future.
Wu rents an apartment, and used to run an online goods store, the court said. He worked at night and slept during the day, often complaining of sleep deprivation because his son would keep him awake.
He began forcing his son to stand at attention in August last year, but the punishments later intensified, and he began whipping the boy’s legs with a plastic rod, or would burn him with a cigarette butt, the court said.
If the child cried, Wu would strike his head, or other parts of the body, which often led to bruising, court documents said.
On Nov. 10 last year, when the infant was one, he was rushed to hospital by his father and mother after a brutal beating that caused brain and retinal hemorrhaging, fractures and multiple bruises on his head, the court said.
The boy was discharged on Dec. 13 after his condition improved and the incident was reported by the hospital to the police.
After questioning the man, the case was handed over to Kaohsiung prosecutors, who, following an investigation, indicted Wu for attempted homicide and for impairing the physical and mental development of a young child.
The child’s mother was not indicted by the prosecutors.
The boy’s brain injury caused left hemiplegia — paralysis in the left side of the body — and developmental delays that would require him to receive intensive physical, functional and speech therapy.
In the long run, the infant could suffer from long-term disabilities, such as epilepsy, the court added.
However, the case can still be appealed.
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