Childcare Educator Chen Yi-han Sentenced to 8 Years for Molesting Three Children

Chen Yi-han (陳羿翰), a childcare educator who worked at two preschools in Taipei's Minsheng Community, was sentenced to eight years in prison on Monday after the Taiwan High Court upheld his conviction on three counts of forcible molestation of children aged three to five. The verdict closes a deeply unsettling chapter for the upscale residential community, where Chen had been entrusted with the care of dozens of young children across multiple institutions.

According to court documents, Chen used a calculated repertoire of deceptive practices to isolate and assault his victims. Under the guise of routine health checks, applying moisturizing lotion, and a game he called "The Monster Is Coming," he approached and molested children in bathrooms and quiet corners of the preschools. One of the four original charges was dropped on appeal after the court determined there was insufficient corroborating evidence for that count, but the three surviving convictions painted what judges described as a clear pattern of systematic abuse of professional trust.

The human cost of Chen's crimes was laid bare in testimony and court filings. Parents described children who became fearful of crowds, suffered recurring nightmares, and in some cases could no longer attend preschool at all — regressing developmentally at a critical age. One child began refusing to use any bathroom except the one at home, triggering months of behavioral therapy. The court noted that the psychological impact on victims of this age can persist for years, affecting school readiness and social development.

Throughout the trial, Chen maintained his innocence, insisting that any physical contact with the children's private areas was incidental to routine caregiving tasks such as diaper changes and bathing. The court flatly rejected this defense, describing it as evasive and inconsistent with witness testimony that placed the incidents in contexts where no such care was required. The judges pointed specifically to the fact that abuse occurred across two different preschools, undermining any claim of misunderstanding or accidental contact.

The case has reverberated through Taiwan's early childhood education sector, prompting renewed calls from parent groups and child welfare organizations for mandatory surveillance cameras in all preschool common areas, stricter background checks that cross-reference employment history across institutions, and a centralized registry of substantiated abuse findings accessible to hiring administrators. Education authorities in Taipei have pledged to review current oversight mechanisms, though advocacy groups say the response remains too slow given the vulnerability of the children involved.