The Taipei District Court yesterday sentenced Chang Yen-wen (張彥文), 31, who was convicted of stabbing his ex-girlfriend to death in Taipei in September 2014, to life in prison.
The court also stripped Chang of his civil rights for life, while sending a lawsuit filed by the victim’s parents seeking NT$12.61 million (US$373,054) in punitive compensation to a civil court for deliberation.
It was the first ruling on Chang’s case and it can be appealed.
Prosecutors had sought the death penalty for Chang for stabbing his ex-girlfriend, surnamed Lin (林), 47 times before leaving her to bleed to death.
The indictment said Chang’s “savage and perverse” attack on a defenseless woman showed extreme cruelty and was devoid of any humane feelings, and asked for the maximum punishment.
However, during proceedings, Chang reportedly broke out in tears, telling the judge that he had done wrong and that he regretted his actions, and begged for forgiveness.
Chang also said he was willing to pay NT$10 million in compensation to Lin’s parents.
Due to Chang’s admission of guilt and his conduct in court, prosecutors later decided to seek the life sentence, citing his display of remorse and the possibility of reintegrating him into society.
However, Lin’s parents and critics rejected the reasons for waiving the death penalty, saying that Chang was putting on a performance to sway the court and avoid the death penalty.
“I cannot accept the ruling. They should have given him the death penalty,” Lin’s mother said, adding that Chang had been lying in court to deceive the judge, and that Chang never spoken to her about financial compensation.
Chang had graduated from National Taiwan University and was working at an international accounting firm as an auditor when he met Lin, a 21-year-old teacher, and the two began dating, court records showed.
They broke up after dating for less than a year, but Chang obsessed over and stalked Lin, threatening to cause her bodily harm, the ruling said.
Chang attacked Lin as she was going to work on the morning of Sept. 22, 2014, and stabbed her a total of 47 times in her limbs, neck and chest, and left her to die on the street due to massive bleeding from severed arteries.
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