The family of a young woman murdered last week said yesterday that the judicial system had blood on its hands for irresponsibly releasing a man convicted for a double murder in 2003, adding that it would request national compensation.
In April 2003, the suspect, Chen Kun-ming (陳昆明), then aged 20, murdered his neighbor’s -eight--year--old daughter and her 10-year-old sister in a grisly act that shocked the nation.
Chen was arrested on Saturday on suspicion of murdering 27-year-old Chen Mei-yu (陳美玉) at his house.
At a press conference in the legislature, Chen Mei-yu’s husband and her family said the judicial system should be held accountable for allowing Chen Kun-ming to be released and commit another murder.
“How could a brutal murderer be released after only staying six years in prison?” Chen Mei-yu’s husband asked. “Ultimately, the judicial system made the kill.”
His wife’s body was so severely beaten that it no longer looked like a human being, he said.
The victim’s aunt-in-law said that when she ran into Chen -Kun-ming at the police station, he calmly told her: “I am mad.”
However, her assessment of the suspect differed.
“I believe the suspect’s mind is clear and there were no signs that he is mentally ill,” she said.
In May last year, the Ministry of Justice announced that Chen Kun-ming’s sentence of 12 years of jail and two years of medical treatment had been halved as part of an amnesty program implemented in April 2006.
Since his crime was committed before April 2006, his sentence was reduced to six years in prison in accordance with the provisions of the amnesty.
In the legislature, Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Chiu Yi (邱毅) questioned Judicial Yuan Sectary-General Lin Ching-fang (林錦芳) regarding the wisdom of the 2006 amnesty program, saying it should only have applied to people who had committed minor offenses and excluded those found guilty of murder and other serious crimes.
Chiu questioned how prosecutors and judges could -support a reduced sentence for Chen Kun-ming.
Lin said she was pained by the news reports of the murder last week, adding that the Judicial Yuan would help the victim’s family and provide compensation.
Investigators said Chen Kun-ming placed a job advertisement in newspapers and enticed Chen Mei-yu to his residence in Banciao (板橋) last week, saying he wanted to interview her.
Chen is believed to have committed the murder at his residence, investigators said.
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