Clad in black T-shirts with “gross injustice” written across their chests, about 30 supporters of capital punishment rallied in front of the Judicial Yuan yesterday to protest several recent court decisions, which they say failed to deliver justice for murdered children and their families.
Led by Taiwan Children’s Rights Association director-general Wang Wei-chun (王薇君), the protesters voiced their discontent with three recent court rulings regarding crimes of a grisly nature, demanding capital punishment.
The three cases include a ruling that sentenced Tseng Wen-ching (曾文欽) to life in prison for killing a fifth-grade student by slitting his throat; another life prison sentence for Huang Wen-jing (黃文進), who allegedly raped, gassed and murdered a college student after swindling NT$5 million (US$165,000) from her through blackmail; and an eight-year sentence for a man surnamed Chiu (邱), who reportedly tortured to death the five-year-old daughter of his coworker.
Photo: Chien Li-chung, Taipei Times
The protesters draped large banners across barricades in front of the judicial building, chanting: “All shall refuse to feed criminals who torture and murder children.”
“Our judicial system has been kidnapped by a small handful of human rights groups,” Wang said as she accused the Ministry of Justice and President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) of inaction. “If you don’t interfere with unfair court rulings, what do the people want you for?”
Minister of Justice Luo Ying-shay (羅瑩雪) on Wednesday said she respected the court’s verdict on Tseng. Luo said although she was personally against the death penalty as a Buddhist, she also acknowledged it received support from a majority of Taiwanese.
Protesters hurled water balloons toward the steps of the Judicial Yuan, in a symbolic gesture to “cleanse the blood of children passed away.”
One protester surnamed Chuang (莊) said that court rulings in Taiwan have long been far too lenient on criminals.
“I think the sentences should be harsher. Basically, a life should be exchanged for a life,” Chuang said.
Wu Hsiao-ping (吳小平), section chief of the Judicial Yuan’s criminal department, received the group’s complaints, saying that the government has heard their concerns.
Wang’s nephew was Wang Hao (王昊), a toddler who died after horrific abuse two years ago. The child’s torturers allegedly used hammers to break his limbs and used pliers to rip off his nails.
After a temporary moratorium from 2006 to 2009, Taiwan reimplemented capital punishment in 2010, with between four and six executions carried out each year since then.
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