Parents and the public have been in shock over allegations that arose last May that educators had drugged children attending a preschool in Banqiao, New Taipei City. The Control Yuan released an investigation report at a press conference this Thursday revealing deficiencies in the city government’s response.
Police began investigating the private preschool last June after parents noticed their children exhibited symptoms such as mood swings and cramps. Reportedly, eight students tested positive for trace amounts of psychoactive drugs, and the school was accused of sedating children with addictive cough syrups.
The Control Yuan’s investigation report pointed out six major shortcomings in the New Taipei City Government’s response, including the failure to seize key video evidence of the crimes. A significant delay in medical examinations saw that children were not tested until 22 days after concerns were first raised. Parents were left panicking after no test results or an official explanation were provided to them. Control Yuan member Yeh Ta-hua (葉大華) says the entire process was ineffective, sloppy, and a violation of regulations.
While the case is still under investigation, the Control Yuan suggests other relevant ministries learn from it and establish collaborative mechanisms for administrative investigation.