A man accused of punching a female passenger and damaging a tray table with a knife on a northbound Taiwan High Speed Rail train on Saturday has been released on bail of NT$29,000.
The Taipei District Court imposed residence restrictions on the suspect, surnamed Chen (陳), yesterday pending trial, but did not order detention.
Prosecutors later said they would not appeal the decision.
Photo copied by Wu Liang-yi, Taipei Times
Chen, a Nantou County resident in his 40s, was apprehended in the county on Sunday and transferred to prosecutors the next day following police questioning.
The incident occurred on Saturday when Chen was reportedly sitting on the floor of a train carriage, blocking an entrance.
A female passenger, surnamed Liu (劉), asked him to move, but to no avail.
As a result, she stepped over him to board the train at Miaoli Station.
About one hour later, while the train was traveling between Banciao Station in New Taipei City and Taipei Station, Chen allegedly lashed out at Liu and punched her.
He allegedly pulled out a dagger — about 30cm in length — from his backpack and stabbed a tray table with it.
He left the knife on the train and fled after arriving at Taipei Station.
Railway police identified Chen through CCTV footage and arrested him a day after the incident.
The Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office on Monday requested permission from the district court to detain Chen, saying that the suspect was highly likely to have committed offenses, including intimidation and assault, and could flee or destroy evidence.
However, the court rejected the request, ruling that evidence is already available such as statements from Liu and witnesses, screenshots from surveillance footage and the knife confiscated as part of the investigation.
Therefore, the likelihood of the suspect destroying evidence and obscuring the facts of the case is low, the court said.
Furthermore, Chen was apprehended in Nantou County, near his residence, and there is no indication that he intended to leave the country or go into long-term hiding, it said.
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