00:03Walking out of the courthouse surrounded by angry protesters,
00:07Taiwanese social worker Chen Shangjie has just been sentenced to two years in prison
00:11on a charge of negligent homicide. Chen was the caseworker for Kaikai, a one-and-a-half-year-old
00:17boy in foster care found dead after repeated torture by two nannies, both of them licensed
00:23under Taiwanese law. The ruling underscores social workers' duty to ensure the safety of
00:29those in their care. But social workers in Taiwan say they are overworked, looking after at least
00:35a dozen people at the same time. Some worry that social workers could withdraw from their role
00:40out of fear of legal responsibilities.
00:56And it wasn't just the social worker who faced scrutiny in this case. Prosecutors are investigating
01:02a government worker tasked with supervising the two nannies for falsifying home visit records and
01:08failing to report the child's injuries. Nanny supervisors are responsible for random home
01:13visits once every two to three months to flag any irregularities or misconduct. But like social
01:19workers, their workload is often overwhelming.
01:45Taiwan has just passed a law that more strictly regulates child care.
01:49And in response to mounting anxieties, social welfare officials say they will ramp up training
01:54for their staff.
02:12Now, with Chen Shangjie sentenced to two years behind bars for negligence, Taiwan's social workers are under
02:18more pressure to manage what many say is an unsustainable workload.
02:23Howard Zhang and Nairing Lin for Taiwan Plus.
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