The Miaoli District Court yesterday sentenced a repeat offender to 29 years in prison for carrying out indiscriminate stabbing attacks that injured two elementary-school girls and a man in Miaoli City in October last year.
Chiu Ming-chih (邱明治) had earlier been found guilty of attempted murder of minors, attempted murder and driving under the influence of drugs, the court said in a statement.
Chiu had been released from prison just six months before the stabbings after serving time for an attempted murder conviction related to a 2015 multiple stabbing case, the court said.
Photo: Peng Chien-li, Taipei Times
The ruling can be appealed.
Chiu took methamphetamine on the morning of Oct. 2 last year, before taping a 30cm knife to his left hand and riding a scooter in search of victims, the court said.
He attacked an elementary-school girl walking alone at about 4pm, stabbing at her neck and chest. The girl escaped to a nearby convenience store and asked a man for help.
Chiu followed her and stabbed the man before targeting another elementary-school girl, whom he also injured in the chest, the court said.
All three victims survived after receiving emergency treatment.
Citing Chiu’s prior conviction and recent release, the court found that he qualified as a repeat offender and imposed an aggravated sentence under the Criminal Code because he showed malice and a lack of rehabilitation in committing the offenses.
While Chiu said he acted impulsively due to emotional issues and drug use, the court determined he had sufficient awareness and control, based on his ability to move purposefully and resist arrest.
It therefore ruled that sentence reduction provisions did not apply.
The court added that the attacks on the children and a passerby in a public space were particularly cruel, violating victims’ rights to life and bodily integrity, and generating significant public alarm.
In response, the male victim’s wife said she was "very dissatisfied" with the ruling and plans to ask prosecutors to file an appeal.
She said she had expected a life sentence for Chiu, adding that the 29-year term could allow him to be released in about 14 and a half years -- a prospect she said would raise public concern.
She said her husband suffered deep penetrating wounds to the right front chest and lower left back, along with a hemopneumothorax and lacerations to the diaphragm and liver.
The injuries were severe and nearly cost him his life, she said. Although her husband has largely recovered, his lung function has not fully returned, and he continues to cough involuntarily.
She added that, given the high-profile nature of the case, only a heavier sentence would serve as an effective deterrent against similar crimes.
Meanwhile, a teacher who intervened to protect the second child said she respected the judicial process, but called on the authorities to strengthen monitoring of former offenders to prevent similar incidents.
The Miaoli District Prosecutors Office said it will decide whether to appeal after receiving the written verdict.
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