Lawmakers yesterday amended the Criminal Code to include a provision stipulating a prison term of at least 10 years — and a maximum of life imprisonment — for child abuse that results in death.
People who cause grievous bodily harm to minors face a prison term of five to 12 years, the amendment says.
Those who abuse minors to make a profit and cause their death face a prison term of 12 years to life, while those who inflict grievous bodily harm to minors in the pursuit of profit would receive a prison term of at least 10 years, it says.
Photo: CNA
The amended Criminal Code now also includes a definition of abuse: acts of violence, coercion or other inhumane treatment.
Another amendment canceled the statute of limitations for cases involving death.
The Criminal Code previously stipulated a 30-year statute of limitations for prosecuting people charged with crimes that are punishable by the death penalty, life imprisonment or a prison term of at least 10 years.
While it retains the 30-year time frame, the Criminal Code now stipulates that “crimes that result in deaths are exempted” from the statute of limitations.
The Judicial Yuan, which sponsored the amendment, said that it made the proposal after referring to rules in the German Criminal Code and Japan’s Code of Criminal Procedure, both of which allow the plaintiff in a murder case to indefinitely request legal remedy.
The amendments also significantly increased penalties for people who harm others’ health or bodies.
The Criminal Code previously stipulated that those who harm the health or bodies of others would face a fine of NT$1,000 or a maximum prison term of three years. The penalties have been raised to a fine of NT$500,000 or a maximum prison term of five years.
The penalties for manslaughter were also raised to up to five years in prison or a maximum fine of NT$500,000, while the penalty for inadvertently harming others is now a maximum prison term of one year or a maximum fine of NT$100,000.
People who inadvertently cause grievous bodily harm to others face a prison term of three years or a maximum fine of NT$300,000, the amendments stipulate.
The punishment for people involved in a melee that results in death was also increased from three years to five.
A car bomb killed a senior Russian general in southern Moscow yesterday morning, the latest high-profile army figure to be blown up in a blast that came just hours after Russian and Ukrainian delegates held separate talks in Miami on a plan to end the war. Kyiv has not commented on the incident, but Russian investigators said they were probing whether the blast was “linked” to “Ukrainian special forces.” The attack was similar to other assassinations of generals and pro-war figures that have either been claimed, or are widely believed to have been orchestrated, by Ukraine. Russian Lieutenant General Fanil Sarvarov, 56, head
SAFETY FIRST: Double the number of police were deployed at the Taipei Marathon, while other cities released plans to bolster public event safety Authorities across Taiwan have stepped up security measures ahead of Christmas and New Year events, following a knife and smoke bomb attack in Taipei on Friday that left four people dead and 11 injured. In a bid to prevent potential copycat incidents, police deployments have been expanded for large gatherings, transport hubs, and other crowded public spaces, according to official statements from police and city authorities. Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) said the city has “comprehensively raised security readiness” in crowded areas, increased police deployments with armed officers, and intensified patrols during weekends and nighttime hours. For large-scale events, security checkpoints and explosives
PUBLIC SAFETY: The premier said that security would be tightened in transport hubs, while President Lai commended the public for their bravery The government is to deploy more police, including rapid response units, in crowded public areas to ensure a swift response to any threats, President William Lai (賴清德) said yesterday after a knife attack killed three people and injured 11 in Taipei the previous day. Lai made the remarks following a briefing by the National Police Agency on the progress of the investigation, saying that the attack underscored the importance of cooperation in public security between the central and local governments. The attack unfolded in the early evening on Friday around Taipei Main Station’s M7 exit and later near the Taipei MRT’s Zhongshan
REBUFFED: In response to Chinese criticism over recent arms sales, Washington urged Beijing to engage in meaningful dialogue instead of threats and intimidation Washington’s long-term commitment to Taiwan would not change, the US Department of State said yesterday, urging Beijing to stop pressuring Taiwan and engage in meaningful bilateral dialogues. The remarks came in response to a backlash from Beijing about Washington’s latest approval of arms sales to Taiwan. The US Defense Security Cooperation Agency said in a statement on Wednesday that the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the US has asked to purchase an arms package, including Tactical Mission Network Software; AH-1W helicopter spare and repair parts; M109A7 self-propelled howitzers; HIMARS long range precision strike systems; tube-launched, optically tracked, wire-guided missiles; Javelin
RSS