Taipei: The opposition Kuomintang (KMT) caucus on Monday urged President Lai Ching-te to grant a special pardon to an 80-year-old woman sentenced to prison for killing her severely disabled son after caring for him for five decades.

According to Focus Taiwan, at a news conference, KMT caucus secretary-general Lo Chih-chiang stated that a pardon is a constitutional human-rights mechanism designed to address cases like that of the woman, whose appeal is currently being heard by the Taiwan High Court. Lo emphasized that the Constitution did not require a final conviction before a pardon could be granted, in response to President Lai’s office’s previous statement that it will not intervene while the judicial process is ongoing.

Lo further mentioned that the KMT caucus would formally request a presidential pardon for the woman. Meanwhile, KMT Legislator Chen Ching-hui urged Health Minister Shih Chung-liang and the Ministry of Health and Welfare to take responsibility beyond merely supporting calls for clemency. Chen stressed that the ministry should thoroughly review long-term caregiving policies and propose improvements to prevent similar tragedies, ensuring that families receive necessary support.

Court documents reveal that the 80-year-old woman lived in Taipei’s Songshan District with her adult son and a foreign caregiver. In April 2023, she was hospitalized with COVID-19 and upon returning home, discovered that her son had also contracted the virus, suffering from a persistent high fever. With her health declining due to previous falls, bone fractures, and heart stent procedures, the woman feared that her death would leave her son without care.

The Taipei District Court recognized the extraordinary hardship she endured and sentenced her to two and a half years in prison, while recommending the president consider granting a special pardon.