Presidential advisor Liu Hsia (
Liu had been in hospital for observation following the incident.
The 61-year-old wheelchair-bound Liu, who was also a well-known writer and advocate of the rights of the underprivileged, died of atrial flutter in the Tri-Service General Hospital at 4am.
"The [alleged beating] incident put too heavy a burden on her heart," said Chang De-ming (張德明), a doctor at the hospital.
Liu's family has decided not to file a lawsuit against the Indonesian caregiver, but the Taipei prosecutors' office has started an investigation of the case to see whether charges should be brought.
Liu's family decided to donate her body for medical research as Liu had wished.
President Chen Shui-bian (
The Indonesian caregiver, identified only by the name Vinarsih, is suspected of suffering from conversion disorder, a psychological affliction caused by severe emotional stress, which makes sufferers to be unable to distinguish between reality and imagination, according to a report from the Mackay Memorial Hospital (
Liu's mother said that Liu had been able to tell her that she had awoken to find herself being dragged from her bed by the caregiver Friday.
According to Taipei County police officials, Vinarsih told the police that she had dreamed of Liu's dead father three times, who told her to help Liu because there was an earthquake. Vinarsih said she tried to wake Liu and carry her to a safer place, but was adamant that she did not beat Liu.
After being told that Liu had died, Vinarsih expressed regret.
Prosecutors yesterday took Vinarsih to Liu's house for further investigation.
Liu Chun-lin (
Liu's younger brother, Liu Kan (
"My sister's death would be worthwhile if the government could set up a safety mechanism to ensure that we are not hiring a wolf, a tiger or a murderer," Liu said in the news conference held at the hospital yesterday morning.
Liu suffered from a rare disease called atrophic arthritis, which is related to rheumatoid arthritis.
The malady had destroyed the function of almost 90 percent of her joints. Despite being forced to lie down most of the time and to use a wheelchair to get around, Liu had written more than 1,000 inspirational short stories and articles under her pen name Xing Lin Tzu (
Surprised by Liu's death, friends and colleagues said that her spirit would be always in their hearts and minds.
"Despite her weak physical condition, her psychological condition was always tough. She was a model for this society," said Sun Yuieh (
The Council of Labor Affairs yesterday said that Vinarsih would be repatriated as she had violated regulations by attacking her employer.
Should Vinarsih she found guilty of murder or involuntary manslaughter, she would be repatriated after serving her prison term.
LEVERAGE: China did not ‘need to fire a shot’ to deny Taiwan airspace over Africa when it owns ‘half the continent’s debt,’ a US official said, calling it economic warfare The EU has raised concerns about overflight rights following the delay of President William Lai’s (賴清德) planned state visit to the Kingdom of Eswatini after three African nations denied overflight clearance for his charter at the last minute. Taiwanese allies Paraguay and Saint Kitts and Nevis, as well as several US lawmakers and the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (IPAC) condemned China for allegedly pressuring the countries. Lai was scheduled to fly directly to Taiwan’s only African ally from yesterday to Sunday to celebrate the 40th anniversary of King Mswati III’s accession and his 58th birthday, but Seychelles, Mauritius and Madagascar suddenly revoked
The number of pet cats in Taiwan surpassed that of pet dogs for the first time last year, reaching 1,742,033, a 32.8 percent increase from 2023, the Ministry of Agriculture said yesterday, citing a survey. By contrast, the number of pet dogs declined slightly by 1.2 percent over the same period to 1,462,528, the ministry said. Despite the shift, households with dogs still slightly outnumber those with cats by 1.2 percent. However, while the number of households with multiple dogs has remained relatively stable, households keeping more than two cats have increased, contributing to the overall rise in the feline population. The trend
China on Wednesday teased in a video an aircraft carrier that could be its fourth, and the first using nuclear power, while making an allusion to Taiwan and vowing to further build up its islands, as it looks to boost maritime power, secure resources and bolster territorial claims. The video, issued on the eve of the 77th founding anniversary of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy, featured fictional officers with names that are homophones of three commissioned aircraft carriers, the Liaoning (遼寧), Shandong (山東) and Fujian (福建). Titled Into the Deep, it showed a 19-year-old named “Hejian” (何劍) joining the group, sparking
Taiwan has signed six arms procurement offers from the US totaling more than NT$208 billion (US$6.59 billion) covering long-range precision strike systems, missile stockpile replenishment and joint production of large-caliber ammunition, the Ministry of National Defense said yesterday. The government’s proposed NT$1.25 trillion special defense budget has been stalled in the Legislative Yuan as opposition lawmakers question the amount and procurement items, while the Presidential Office and defense ministry say that the full amount is necessary to safeguard Taiwan. Minister of National Defense Wellington Koo (顧立雄) on Monday briefed the legislature’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee on the defense budget for
RSS