TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Kuomintang (KMT) presidential candidate and New Taipei Mayor Hou Yu-ih (侯友宜) has apologized for his handling of the New Taipei Kid Castle kindergarten drugging case, as parents say the kindergarten staff responsible for administering the drugs to their children are trying to shift the blame.
SETN reported on Saturday (June 10) that one of the teachers confessed to police that they had given cough medicine to the students, but said that it was with the parents’ consent. Police confirmed that parents had signed consent forms for this, but parents said they never thought the medicine would contain barbiturates.
"When kids catch colds, the cough medicine prescribed by the doctor will not contain barbiturates. It is completely different from cough medicine,” one parent said.
Meanwhile, Hou made his apology at Taipei’s National Chengchi University (NCCU) on Friday, and said that teachers with ulterior motives had done “heartbreaking things” to the children involved, per Taiwan’s Chinese Television System. “I hereby deeply apologize to everyone for not being thorough enough to protect the children,” Hou said, bowing.
As Hou spoke, protesters chanted, “Mayor Hou is out soliciting votes, (he considers) the poisoning of children unimportant."
On Friday, Hou visited a Banqiao primary school to speak with parents of the affected children, where he also faced protestors' chants. Democratic Progressive Party legislators gathered outside the venue, and shouted at Hou to submit a report on the incident, and face up to parliamentary questions, per Yahoo.
DPP presidential candidate and Taiwan’s Vice President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) addressed the issue on Saturday, calling on the New Taipei City Government to form a team of medical professionals and investigate. Lai, who has a medical background, said the drugs in question are used for sedation, and if not properly prescribed, may inhibit breathing, and damage liver and kidney function.
While previously commonly prescribed, the usage of barbiturates as a sedative has been largely phased out in most countries, due to the risk of adverse reactions and dependence or addiction.
