Taiwanese Court Allows Elderly Man to Terminate Adoption of Abusive, Absent Son to Access Subsidies

A 73-year-old man in Nantou, Taiwan, has been granted a court order to terminate his adoption of a son after nearly 30 years, following years of abuse and neglect. The elderly man, who lives alone in a dilapidated house and suffers from poverty and poor health, had been unable to access social welfare subsidies because he was legally registered as having a dependent son.

The adopted son, who had a history of unstable employment, frequently demanded money from his adoptive father. When refused, he resorted to verbal abuse and physical violence. More than a year ago, the son left Taiwan and has not been heard from since, effectively abandoning his adoptive father.

Local community leaders and neighbors, wanting to help the elderly man, advised him to seek a termination of the adoption in court. This legal step was necessary to remove the son from his legal status as a dependent, thereby making the father eligible for low-income subsidies.

The Nantou District Court's family division granted the termination, citing "major reasons that make it difficult to maintain the adoption relationship." The court acknowledged that the son, despite being raised by his adoptive father, had failed to fulfill his filial duties, remained out of contact after leaving Taiwan, and that the parental relationship had become nominal. The judge determined that the father's resolve to end the adoption was firm.

Legal experts noted that the court's decision aligned with Taiwan's Civil Code, which allows for the termination of adoption due to severe mistreatment, insults, or abandonment. The termination of the adoption effectively dissolves the legal rights and obligations between the adoptive father and son, paving the way for the elderly man to receive much-needed financial assistance.