Starving, naked boy found tied up on balcony in shocking case of child abuse

A shocking case of child abuse in Taiwan has emerged. On 22 September, a mother was horrified to discover her three-year-old son, starving and naked on her ex-husband's balcony. 

This Case Of Child Abuse In Taiwan Is Truly Horrifying

According to Taiwanese media, the little boy was discovered by his mother tied up with cable ties, on the balcony of her ex-husband's apartment. 

She decided to check on him and his brother (living with their father and his partner) after her daughter told her she often dreamed of her little brother dying.

When the mother arrived at her ex-husband's house, she found her child naked, emaciated and covered in bruises. Reports state that the toddler was so hungry, he tried to eat his own faeces. 

Reportedly, the little one is now back under his mother's care after receiving medical treatment. The mum says that even previously, she had noticed bruises on her youngest son's body. 

The child's father upon questioning by the authorities has admitted to beating the child when he misbehaved, with his slippers and hands. 

Investigations into the incident continue. 

Warning: The contents of the video below are disturbing. 

www.facebook.com/GeeVIDEO/videos/271413383484971/

Child Abuse In Taiwan: Why Was An Obvious Red Flag Ignored? 

It's indeed heartbreaking to see the images and video of this helpless child, left to the mercy of a raging abusive father. 

We're not out to judge the child's mother as we don't know the exact circumstances behind her relationship with the child, or her ex-partner. We're not even sure how often she visited her sons. 

But, we'd like to ask this question: why did she not do something if she noticed bruises on her child's body before? 

Bruising on a child's body -- especially if recurring -- is an obvious red flag of physical abuse. Other signs might not be too obvious, such as: 

• Regression in a child, e.g. going back to using "baby talk" 
• Sudden shyness and withdrawal of a formally sociable child
• Nightmares/ night terrors 
• Sudden onset of bed-wetting 
• Anxiety when around certain people. This might be the abuser, or even someone who reminds them of the abuser. 

While this case of child abuse in Taiwan is certainly extreme, let's not get complacent thinking similar abuse can't happen in Singapore. It can. And if you know of or suspect a child is being abused, do not hesitate to call for help: 

We hope this little boy gets the help he needs to recover from both his physical and psychological trauma. 

Source: AsiaOne, China Times; featured image: Facebook screengrab