Taiwanese woman, 84, allegedly kills sister, 91, after pressure from being main caregiver

An 84-year-old Taiwanese woman is accused of killing her elder sister, 91, in the early morning of Apr. 29, after being her main caregiver for years.

According to ETtoday, the suspected motive of the case was the sister feeling the pressure from being the main caregiver and her elder sister's pain resulting from illness.

The woman, surnamed Ye, allegedly used a fruit knife and a kitchen knife to kill her sister before informing their relatives of the act.

The case is being investigated as a murder, and Tainan's District Court approved a request for the woman's detention at 10am on Apr. 30 after a request by the prosecution.

Younger sister was calm when police arrived

Taiwanese police received a report at around 1am on Apr. 29 and rushed to the scene.

According to ETtoday, the house the sisters once shared was covered in blood.

The woman appeared calm, and her sister was found with knife wounds on her neck.

There was no sign of a struggle or fighting at the scene, and police immediately arrested the woman for investigation.

Sisters depended on each other

ETtoday said the sisters had reportedly lived together for many years, supporting each other with their pensions.

In March 2026, the elder sister was injured due to a fall and was immobilised, resulting in the younger sister taking the brunt of caregiving labour.

According to ETtoday, on the night of the incident, the elder sister, presumably suffering from long-term illness and an unwillingness to burden her younger sister, expressed suicidal thoughts.

The younger sister was also suspected of being subject to physical and mental exhaustion leading up to the incident.

After questioning, the woman confessed to the crime.

Taiwanese prosecutors suspected that the woman had committed a serious crime and posed a risk of destroying evidence and fleeing, hence the detention order.

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