Prosecutors are seeking three life sentences for a man accused of stabbing three people in Miaoli City on Oct. 2, including two elementary-school children and a 50-year-old man surnamed Lin (林).
Lin and one of the children were seriously injured, but have since been released from intensive care and remain in stable condition.
The Miaoli District Prosecutors’ Office said it wrapped up its investigation today, indicting Chiu Ming-chih (邱明治), 48, on three counts of attempted murder.
Photo: Peng Chien-li, Taipei Times
As Chiu has a previous conviction for attempted murder as well as a violent disposition, prosecutors said they are requesting three life sentences — one for attempted murder and two for attempted murder of a minor — in the interest of public safety.
Chiu took a knife to innocent strangers without provocation and stabbed them in critical parts of the body, including the chest and back, office spokesperson Liu Wei-cheng (劉偉誠) said.
The victims included two elementary-school girls who were unable to defend themselves and sustained severe physical and psychological trauma from the incident, he said.
The attack also occurred in front of multiple bystanders, causing serious harm to public order and social stability, he added.
Moreover, Chiu committed a similar crime on Dec. 26, 2015, stabbing three innocent bystanders and a police officer with scissors at a convenience store, Liu said.
He was convicted of attempted murder and served nine years and three months before being released from prison in March, he said.
This latest offense shows he did not respond well to punishment and has a pattern of random violence, Liu added.
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