Body of Taiwanese girl, 7, found with missing tongue & throat after autopsy, later discovered in chest

A seven-year-old girl and her father were found dead in a car due to carbon monoxide poisoning in Taiwan on Jul. 21, 2025.

Her mum's grief was compounded when she discovered that the tongue and throat were missing from her daughter's body during embalming.

She cried foul and demanded answers from the authorities, who explained that the coroner hastily placed the parts in the chest cavity due to a "time constraint".

Missing tongue and throat

While still coming to terms with the death of her child, Han (transliteration), the child's mum, arranged for her body to be embalmed after the autopsy was done.

To her horror, during the embalming process on Aug. 4, she discovered that the tongue and throat were missing from the body.

The shocking discovery added to her grief.

"I delayed funeral processions in order to make my daughter whole again. I had to," Han told Tawainese media outlet Mirror Media.

The coroner explained to Han that the body parts were not missing.

According to the coroner, the parts had been removed during the autopsy to check for poisonous substances, Mirror Media wrote.

However, due to a time constraint, the coroner was not able to properly put back the tongue and throat.

They were placed in the chest cavity instead.

The grief-filled Han was dissatisfied with the explanation, and demanded answers from the authorities.

Agreed to right the wrongs

A meeting was arranged on Aug. 11 between Han and local authorities.

Following the meeting, Han shared that she was ready to close the chapter.

The authorities agreed to restore the body parts to where they belonged, according to Mirror Media.

"Finally, my princess can be on her way, complete and pretty," Han said.

"Earlier in July, she had donned a princess outfit for her kindergarten graduation. She was in a shimmering yellow dress with sparkling silver heels," Han recounted to Mirror Media.

Han plans to dress her daughter in this same outfit for her final send-off.

What happened

The seven-year-old was with her 44-year-old father, Lin (transliteration) when she passed, Mirror Media reported.

The child was born out of wedlock between Lin and Han.

After the couple broke up, Lin and Han co-parented the seven-year-old, with Lin frequently bringing their daughter back to Taiwan's Changhua City for stays.

Han resides in Taichung.

On Jul. 15, Lin picked up their child and headed back to Changhua and reportedly avoided contact with Han.

Han would not hear from them for days.

On Jul. 20, Han phoned Lin's mum to ask about the pair's well-being, only to be told that Lin had already taken the seven-year-old back to Taichung.

There were to be no signs of Lin or their seven-year-old even after sundown that same day.

Panicked, Han alerted Taichung police about the missing father-daughter pair.

On Jul. 21, Han received a call from the police, asking her to head down to the stations to identify their bodies.

The bodies of Lin and the seven-year-old were found inside a car at a carpark, Mirror Media wrote.

They had died of carbon monoxide poisoning.

Helplines:

If you or someone you know are in mental distress, here are some hotlines you can call to seek help, advice, or just a listening ear:

National Mindline 1771: 1771

SOS 24-hour Hotline: 1-767

Singapore Association for Mental Health: 1800-283-7019

Institute of Mental Health: 6389-2222 (24 hours)

Tinkle Friend: 1800-274-4788 (for primary school-aged children)

Top image via Mirror Media and ET Today via Sinchew