After a two-month investigation, Taipei District prosecutors yesterday charged artist Chang Chih-cheng (張志成) with helping his wife Chen Ling-hui (陳綾蕙) commit suicide.
The 42-year-old gallery owner was found dead at her home in Taipei on Nov. 7 last year.
Police reports showed that she died from carbon monoxide poisoning after burning charcoal in her bedroom.
A separate investigation showed that a possible factor in Chen’s suicide was that she was being pressured by loan sharks who were demanding unpaid debts using threats or violence.
After her art gallery experienced financial problems, Chen borrowed a substantial amount of money from a black-market lender who then charged her exorbitant interest rates.
Her husband was investigated after evidence pointed to the possibility that he may have assisted his wife in committing suicide.
Prosecutors said they had evidence that Chang bought the coal his wife used to kill herself.
Chang said his wife was originally going to buy the coal, but because she was not dressed appropriately, he went out and bought it for her. His fingerprints were also found on the tongs with which he allegedly picked up the pieces of coal.
Assisting a suicide is a criminal offense, even if the person assisting was asked to do so by the person who died. It is punishable by up to seven years in prison.
Prosecutors charged Chang with assisting a suicide and requested a two-year prison sentence because they said Chang did not initially own up to his crimes. Prosecutors also said Chang had mild psychological disorders, but they were not serious enough to impair his judgment when committing the alleged crime.
Aftershocks from a magnitude 6.2 earthquake that struck off Yilan County at 3:45pm yesterday could reach a magnitude of 5 to 5.5, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. Seismological Center technical officer Chiu Chun-ta (邱俊達) told a news conference that the epicenter of the temblor was more than 100km from Taiwan. Although predicted to measure between magnitude 5 and 5.5, the aftershocks would reach an intensity of 1 on Taiwan’s 7-tier scale, which gauges the actual effect of an earthquake, he said. The earthquake lasted longer in Taipei because the city is in a basin, he said. The quake’s epicenter was about 128.9km east-southeast
The Taipei Summer Festival is to begin tomorrow at Dadaocheng Wharf (大稻埕), featuring four themed firework shows and five live music performances throughout the month, the Taipei Department of Information and Tourism said today. The festival in the city’s Datong District (大同) is to run until Aug. 30, holding firework displays on Wednesdays and the final Saturday of the event. The first show is scheduled for tomorrow, followed by Aug. 13, 20 and 30. To celebrate the 30th anniversary of Disney Pixar's movie Toy Story, the festival has partnered with Walt Disney Co (Taiwan) to host a special themed area on
BE CAREFUL: The virus rarely causes severe illness or death, but newborns, older people and those with medical conditions are at risk of more severe illness As more than 7,000 cases of chikungunya fever have been reported in China’s Guangdong Province this year, including 2,892 new cases last week, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) yesterday said it is monitoring the situation and considering raising the travel notice level, which might be announced today. The CDC issued a level 1 travel notice, or “watch,” for Guangdong Province on July 22, citing an outbreak in Foshan, a manufacturing hub in the south of the province, that was reported early last month. Between July 27 and Saturday, the province reported 2,892 new cases of chikungunya, reaching a total of 7,716
The New Taipei City Government today warned about the often-overlooked dangers of playing in water, and recommended safe swimming destinations to cool off from the summer heat. The following locations in the city as safe and fun for those looking to enjoy the water: Chienshuiwan (淺水灣), Baishawan (白沙灣), Jhongjiao Bay (中角灣), Fulong Beach Resort (福隆海水浴場) and Sansia District’s (三峽) Dabao River (大豹溪), New Taipei City Tourism and Travel Department Director-General Yang Tsung-min (楊宗珉) said. Outdoor bodies of water have variables outside of human control, such as changing currents, differing elevations and environmental hazards, all of which can lead to accidents, Yang said. Sudden
RSS