Second Retrial Rules Possible Rehabilitation, Liang Yuzhi Sentenced to Life Imprisonment

In the case of the murder of a Malaysian female student from Chang Jung Christian University, the Supreme Court on April 23, 2026, rejected the appeal, upholding the life imprisonment sentence from the second retrial, making the verdict final. The perpetrator, Liang Yuzhi, has definitively escaped the death penalty. On the evening of October 28, 2020, while returning to her rented accommodation, the female student, identified by her surname Zhong, was ambushed by Liang Yuzhi, who strangled her with a knotted rope, dragged her into the bushes, sexually assaulted her, and then strangled her to death before dumping her body in the A-lian mountain area of Kaohsiung. The first trial, second trial, and first retrial all handed down death sentences, but the Supreme Court overturned the verdict twice, remanding the case. The second retrial at the Kaohsiung District Court found that Liang's original plan was robbery and sexual assault, and that he lost emotional control and tightened the rope, leading to death, only after the victim resisted and cried out for help. Therefore, it was deemed that there was no clear premeditation to kill and it did not meet the standard for 'the most serious of crimes'. Referencing the psychiatric evaluations from Kaohsiung Kai-Syuan Psychiatric Hospital and Chi Nan Mental Health Center, the panel of judges concluded that with long-term imprisonment combined with psychological treatment and rehabilitation, Liang still had potential for correction and improvement, leading to a revised sentence of life imprisonment and permanent deprivation of civil rights. For the robbery charge, he received an 8-year sentence. The verdict has sparked strong backlash. Ms. Zhong's mother tearfully stated that despite both professional institutions pointing out the defendant's high risk of re-offending and difficulty in rehabilitation, the court excluded the death penalty based on 'potential for rehabilitation,' placing 'hope above risk assessment.' The Federation of Malaysian Students in Taiwan also issued a statement expressing deep regret, arguing that the verdict overemphasized the perpetrator's potential for rehabilitation and failed to sufficiently reflect the irreversible harm to the victim, potentially undermining public trust in the judiciary. This case has once again ignited public discussion on campus safety, the abolition of the death penalty, and the assessment of recidivism risk. Another one escaped the death penalty because of 'potential for rehabilitation'... As if scum like that could ever be rehabilitated 🙄