The family of a Taipei senior resident alleged yesterday that their father had been beaten to death by his tour guide during a trip to the offshore islands of Penghu.
Accompanied by DPP city councilor Wan Po-yu (
"I had originally returned from the US to celebrate Father's Day with my family, but arrived only to see my father's dead body," she said.
Shen Chao-jung (沈朝榮), Lin Yu-chuan's son-in-law, said that it was hard to figure why the tour guide, Chen Yu-wei (陳幼偉), 40, had been so cruel to an 80-year-old man.
"Look at him, look at the bruises on his head and face," he said, pointing to the color photos taken by the family at the intensive care unit at Chang Gung Memorial Hospital in Linkou, Taipei County.
"My father-in-law was a nice guy. He was very independent and traveled a lot. Even if he had done something wrong, was it necessary to beat and kill him?" he asked.
Although the official result of the autopsy has not yet been made available, the family claimed that the coroner had told them that the body showed signs of a violent attack to the head, upper body and abdomen.
Shen said that the family strongly suspected Chen might have been motivated by money to kill his father-in-law.
"We're very curious to know why the cash in his wallet had disappeared," he said.
Shen added that they are very disappointed with how the travel agency had handled the matter.
"They not only refused to offer any apology and compensation but also put the blame on the dead," he said.
Alex Su (
"According to other members of the group, Lin seemed to be a grumpy old man," he said. "On the day of the accident on Aug. 2, Lin swore at group members and the tour guide after having waited for them for over an hour. He then physically grappled with Chen and fell during the altercation, hurting his head."
Su said that the company had offered NT$2 million in compensation but the family asked for NT$8 million.
"We'll let the police and prosecutors take care of the matter since the case has become a legal one," he said.
Wang Hsiao-fang (
He might also have to face criminal and civil action, while the travel agency might face fines, Wang said.
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