Taiwan man, 51, allegedly drugs his mum, 78, with sleeping pills & sexually assaults her, leading to her death

A 51-year-old man with disabilities has been charged in Taiwan for allegedly spiking his 78-year-old mother's drink with sleeping pills and sexually assaulting her while she was unconscious, leading to her death.

According to Sin Chew Daily News, the incident occurred on Mar. 8, 2025 at the home that the man shared with his mother in New Taipei City.

How it came to light

Police received a report at around 7am that morning after an elderly woman was found lying in a pool of blood at the corridor of her home.

The man told the police he had heard a loud crashing sound at around 4am.

He went out of his room to find his mother lying in the corridor, still breathing.

Sin Chew reported that he then found her face cold and her breathing faint when he went to feed her milk at 6am, and immediately ran to a nearby convenience store to ask a staff member to call for help.

Paramedics arrived and confirmed the woman had already died.

Investigators later found signs suggesting she had been sexually assaulted before her death.

What investigations revealed

Prosecutors there have launched an investigation and ordered the man's arrest on Feb. 25, 2026, per Sin Chew.

He has since been remanded in custody at Taipei Detention Centre and was taken for a psychiatric evaluation in March 2026.

According to China Press, prosecutors found that the man had allegedly administered Zolpidem, a sedative, to his mother before 6am, rendering her unconscious before sexually assaulting her.

She died as a result of drug poisoning and brain injury.

Investigators believe the man's actions were related to his unstable mental state at the time.

He has been indicted on charges of causing death through sexual assault by means of drugs, per China Press.