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🇹🇼 Taiwan /Crime & Justice

Taiwan Supreme Court Orders Retrial for Double Murderer Sentenced to Death Twice

From Liberty Times · () Chinese

Translated from Chinese, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Ongoing story
  • A man in Kaohsiung was sentenced to death twice for allegedly killing his neighbors in front of their two young children.
  • The Supreme Court overturned the second death sentence, citing insufficient investigation into the defendant's mental state and motive.
  • The case will be retried, with the court needing to adhere to constitutional rulings on the death penalty and mental capacity.

A Kaohsiung man, Wu Lung-man, faces a retrial after his second death sentence for the brutal murder of his neighbors was overturned by the Supreme Court. Wu allegedly stabbed the couple to death in front of their two young children, reportedly due to noise complaints.

The victims' lawyer accused Wu of having no remorse and exhibiting extremely malicious behavior.

— Victims' lawyerDescribing Wu's insistence on having the young children testify in court.

Wu has consistently denied guilt and even insisted on having the victims' young children testify in court, a demand the victims' lawyer decried as a further psychological attack. The High Court in Kaohsiung had upheld two death sentences, but the Supreme Court found the investigation lacking. Specifically, the court noted inconsistencies in the established motive and the failure to conduct a thorough mental capacity evaluation, which is now required under a recent constitutional ruling.

The Supreme Court believes that the second trial's investigation was not thorough.

— Supreme CourtExplaining the reason for overturning the second death sentence.

The Supreme Court emphasized that while the death penalty is constitutional, its application must follow strict due process. The retrial at the Kaohsiung High Court will need to address these investigative gaps, particularly concerning Wu's mental state and the precise circumstances of the premeditated murder. The case highlights the complex legal and ethical considerations surrounding capital punishment in Taiwan.

The spirit of the constitutional ruling is 'cautious sentencing,' not 'abolishing the death penalty.'

— Kaohsiung High CourtStating its view on the death penalty in the original judgment.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Liberty Times in Chinese. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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