Two educators indicted for child coercion at New Taipei kindergarten

Two educators at New Taipei City's Fuyao Kindergarten face charges of intentionally committing acts of coercion against four young children, following an investigation into alleged improper disciplinary actions. The indictment details instances of physical abuse against children aged 4 to 5.

According to the indictment, assistant caregiver Jiang Yifang and caregiver Zhang Wenyi are accused of various forceful acts. These include dragging children, forcibly removing their pants, hitting them with a broom, stepping on their backs with one foot, and striking their faces and buttocks. Jiang was accused of hitting a 5-year-old child's head in 2022 and allegedly assaulting three other children in March 2024 with actions such as slapping foreheads, pushing heads, kicking legs, and pulling children by their clothing.

Zhang's alleged offenses also occurred in March 2024, targeting one child. Her alleged actions included hitting a child's head with a book, pinching the nose of a child drinking from a water bottle, throwing a blanket at a child, and pressing down on a child with a blanket. The case came to light after parents reported concerns to the New Taipei City Education Bureau, which then reviewed surveillance footage from the kindergarten classrooms.

Prosecutors dismissed charges of injury against the two educators. For one victim, the reporting period had expired. For three others, there was a lack of medical diagnosis certificates, and no obvious injuries were apparent. Charges of hindering child development were also not pursued, as prosecutors determined that while the educators' actions exceeded reasonable discipline, they were not sufficiently continuous or severe to constitute repeated abuse causing significant physical or psychological harm.

Another caregiver, surnamed Gao, was also accused of pulling, pinching a child's face, and hitting a child's legs. Those charges were dropped after the parent reached a settlement and withdrew the complaint.