TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislators criticized Taiwan’s social safety net and called for more government oversight, following investigations into the nanny child abuse case.

The DPP held a press conference on Wednesday (March 20) in response to the media asking why the social safety net failed to function in this case, per CNA. DPP Legislator Wu Su-yao (吳思瑤) commented that cases of child abuse hurt Taiwanese society.

“That’s why the DPP hopes to use interpellations to urge the executive branch to improve. The social safety net should strive for 100% but there are always shortcomings, which leads to regrets,” the legislator said.

Wu said, “From the central government to local authorities and NGOs, all contribute to the social safety net ... the DPP does not evade responsibility but deeply reflects and reviews from an institutional perspective, avoiding political intervention,” she added.

DPP Legislator Chuang Jui-hsiung (莊瑞雄) said, “Looking at the timeline, at the beginning of the case, the New Taipei City government’s focus on child care was primarily about how to refer children to better families,” he said.

“However, reviewing the case itself, increasing the frequency of visits could have led to early detection,” he said.

“The essence of the problem lies in how to have better communication across counties and cities, providing better care for children to prevent tragedies. The central government should make policy improvements,” Chuang stressed.

The nanny child abuse case saw the death of a 1-year-old boy nicknamed Kai Kai (愷愷) who was under the supervision of a foster caregiver surnamed Liu (劉). The case is being investigated by the Taipei District Prosecutor’s Office.