Taiwanese authorities have accused a woman of concealing her deceased father’s body in her home for an extended period to fraudulently claim his military pension. The woman, whose identity remains undisclosed, cohabited with her father for more than five decades.
In November of last year, health officials became suspicious when they were denied entry to her home for dengue-prevention measures. Consequently, she received a fine of NT$60,000.
Persistent refusal to grant government officials access to her home raised suspicions and led to police intervention. During questioning, the woman initially asserted that her father was residing in a nursing home.
Under further police questioning, she altered her account, asserting that her brother had transported their father to the mainland from Kaohsiung. However, investigations revealed that the brother had been deceased for half a century, and there was no official record of the woman’s father leaving Taiwan.
Subsequently, the woman provided yet another false statement, claiming that her father had passed away on the mainland. However, she was unable to produce a death certificate as evidence.
These conflicting narratives prompted the police to conduct a search of her property, where they discovered a black plastic garbage bag containing the skeletal remains of an elderly individual.
The authorities discovered that the man had been deceased for an extended period. According to a forensic expert, it usually takes one to two years for a body to break down completely into skeletal remains.
The woman’s father, who had served as a military veteran for over two decades, received a monthly pension based on his rank and service record. On average, Taiwanese military veterans typically receive NT$49,379 per month.
Authorities are currently investigating the man’s death, and they will assess whether the woman’s actions extend beyond merely concealing her father’s body.
According to Taiwanese law, severe penalties, including imprisonment for up to five years, apply to actions such as damaging, abandoning, insulting, or stealing a corpse. If the offense involves a direct relative or close family member, the sentence may be enhanced by 1.5 times.
The woman is presently receiving medical treatment while being closely monitored by the police.
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