The Shilin District Court yesterday sentenced Kung Chung-an (龔重安) to life in prison for the murder of an elementary-school girl in Taipei last year.
Kung, 30, killed the girl, surnamed Liu (劉), by cutting her throat with a knife on May 29 last year.
According to the court, Kung sneaked into Wenhua Elementary School in Taipei’s Beitou District (北投) by climbing over the wall at about 4:20pm, saw eight-year-old Liu going to the toilet alone, followed her and slit her throat.
He then called the police to report the crime.
Kung said at the time that he had been suffering from auditory hallucinations, likely due to pressure, for more than two years. He said the hallucinations stopped after the murder.
Kung’s lawyer presented medical documents which he said shows that his client has a psychosis but is not aware of his condition. He also asked the court to allow his client to undergo therapy while the trial was proceeding.
Prosecutors said that Kung turned himself in not because of remorse, but because he wanted a speedy trial.
They said that evidence showed that Kung had searched the Internet for information about knives, including whether it is a felony to carry one.
Such actions show that the defendant has not lost the cognitive capability to assess the legal ramifications of his actions, prosecutors said, adding that Kung’s refusal to undergo therapy means he is incapable of being redeemed.
The district prosecutors’ office said it had pushed for the court to give Kung the capital sentence for murder.
A report by the Chinese-language United Daily News yesterday quoted Kung as saying that he deserved capital punishment.
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