A Taiwanese man has been charged with killing his mother after he left her in the bathroom for six days. Zheng abandoned his ailing mother after she suffered a stroke and collapsed on the floor.
The 43-year-old from Kaohsiung went about his daily activities as usual, despite passing by his 66-year-old mother several times.
He tried interacting with her on the second and third day after she collapsed, but she did not answer. Zheng allegedly left without checking on her for the next two days, the South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported.
The man was living with his mother for over 20 years.
She suffered a stroke on May 18 and passed out in the bathroom. Zheng claimed he initially inquired about her well-being and did not intervene after she assured him not to worry.
Zheng came home on May 23 and found she had died. He did not notify the authorities until her body started to decay.
According to forensic specialist Gao Dacheng, the mother's darkened face sparked suspicions. She might have died gradually if she experienced a subarachnoid haemorrhage because of the fall.
Despite having fallen several times, Zheng's neighbours alleged she often refused assistance, even from social services and would insist on contacting an ambulance herself.
"He has cared for her alone for decades and never got married," one person said about Zheng, describing him as "filial."
She was seriously ill, and he worked for long hours with overtime, said another neighbour. "I do not believe he would abandon his mother," they added.
According to reports, Zheng came from a low-income family. He was arrested on suspicion of murder and abandonment and taken to the Taiwan Kaohsiung District Prosecutor's Office.
His sibling died in a car crash, his father left home, and he was parenting his mother by himself for 20 years. He took care of her at night while working at a factory during the day, as per the SCMP.
