Mother Who Abandoned Family for 27 Years, Suffers Stroke and Tracheotomy, Court Rules Son Doesn't Have to Pay for Long-Term Care

A mother in Taoyuan, known as Ah-chen, left home 27 years ago claiming she was 'going to work,' abandoning her three young children and husband, and never contacted them again. 27 years later, after suffering a stroke and requiring a tracheotomy, she sought long-term care costs of NT$42,500 per month from the son she had abandoned. The court, after review, ruled that the son did not have to pay a single cent, a situation described as more unbelievable than an evening soap opera. In late 1998, Ah-chen, who ran a small shop, closed it due to poor business and told her family she was 'going to work.' She never returned. Her husband raised the three children alone. After his death in 2001, the children were raised by their grandparents and aunt/uncle. Ah-chen did not pay child support and even threatened to remarry and have the children change their surnames. Eventually, her father-in-law sued to terminate parental rights. In March of this year, 59-year-old Ah-chen, unable to care for herself due to a stroke and tracheotomy, was reported by the hospital for placement, with monthly costs around NT$42,500, initially covered by the Taoyuan City Social Affairs Bureau. As she had no assets and her income for the past three years was only a few hundred dollars, the Social Affairs Bureau contacted her son to request financial support. The son applied to be exempted from the obligation to support her, arguing that he had never received care from his mother since he could remember. He now has four children with his wife and bears the full financial burden of his family, making him unable to afford additional costs. The Taoyuan District Court determined that Ah-chen had long failed to fulfill her duty of support without justifiable reason, and the circumstances were severe. Forcing the estranged son to bear the costs would be unreasonable and unfair. According to Article 1118-1, Paragraph 2 of the Civil Code, the court ruled to grant the exemption from the obligation to support. The case can still be appealed. This verdict also highlights the legal boundary between long-term care costs and familial responsibility, sparking public attention and discussion. Shameless parents, there are still so many 🙄