Family members and relatives of two murder victims said they were angered by a Greater Kaohsiung court decision this week, when the man found guilty of the crime was given a life term instead of the death sentence, because the judge said the killer “showed some remorse” during the trial.
Many criticized the court’s decision, saying that the judicial system cares too much about the rights of convicted killers, while it is not so concerned about the rights of the people affected by the criminals.
Tsai Yung-ching (蔡永清) was found guilty of killing a mother and her daughter last year.
Prosecutors requested the death sentence, citing the cruelty of the murders; the mother was stabbed 25 times and her 19-year-old daughter 16 times.
“Tsai admitted to the murders and he showed remorse for his actions. If given an opportunity to live, perhaps he could make reparations to the family,” a court statement said. “Thus it is not necessary to invoke the death penalty in this case.”
Family members said: “There is no justice. It was a cold-blooded, brutal murder. Tsai deserves to die. We cannot accept a life sentence for him.”
Alliance Against the Abolishment of Capital Punishment convener Chen Cheng-yu (陳正育) said that judges in the nation’s courts tend not to hand out the death penalty, as they consider the situation of convicted killers more than considering the situation for the families and friends of people who are murdered.
“This does not serve justice for the people killed or their families,” Chen said. “It also does not protect law-abiding citizens from fear of being victimized. It seems that judges are encouraging more murders to happen.”
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