Controversy over Death Penalty Exemption in Tucheng Murder Case! Judge Rules 'Multiple People' Requires More Than 3, Constitutio

The New Taipei District Court recently ruled on the Tucheng wife murder case, citing Taiwan's constitutional ruling "113 Constitutional Interpretation No. 8," which states that the death penalty requirement for killing "multiple people" necessitates more than three victims. Consequently, the defendant was sentenced to two life imprisonments. This interpretation has caused public outrage, with many criticizing it as effectively abolishing the death penalty. The incident occurred in July 2025, when a man surnamed Xie drove his car to attack his wife and sister-in-law in Tucheng District, New Taipei City, before fatally stabbing them on the street with a knife and aluminum bat. The first-instance ruling by the New Taipei District Court's National Court Jury system determined that the case did not meet the criteria for "most severe criminal circumstances," leading to the life sentence. After the judgment's reasoning was made public, the victims' families decried, "Do you need to kill the entire family to be considered 'multiple people'?" sparking strong public backlash. When asked about the matter, Hsu Pi-hui, the clerk of the Constitutional Court, did not directly explain the definition of "multiple people." She merely stated that this was a first-instance judgment and that if the parties involved were dissatisfied, they should seek legal remedies through the statutory procedures. She added that the court's reasoning was fully detailed in the judgment document. The New Taipei District Prosecutors Office has appealed the decision, emphasizing that the literal meaning of "multiple people" does not inherently exclude two individuals and that a fixed number should not be used to set the threshold for the death penalty. The prosecution pointed out that the defendant premeditated the crime and employed extremely brutal methods, arguing that the original judgment excessively narrowed the interpretation of "most severe criminal circumstances." The case is currently undergoing second-instance review, and the notion that "only killing 3 people warrants a death sentence" is merely the opinion in an individual case and has not yet become the final, confirmed standard. Killing someone and it's not considered serious... I really hope the judges who said this get killed as soon as they step outside. Hopefully, their families are spared, unless they also believe this. 😑 Taiwanese justice is dead. May the people fend for themselves. 🙄🙄🙄