TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A teenager who stabbed and killed his classmate at a New Taipei high school in December 2023 was sentenced to nine years in prison on Monday (Sept. 30).
The juvenile branch of the New Taipei District Court sentenced the boy to prison alongside a female classmate, per CNA. The court said the girl was involved in the stabbing attack and sentenced her to eight years in prison.
The pair are both under 18 years old and therefore had their sentences reduced. The court said in a statement that the two teens had caused huge and irreversible pain for the victim’s family, and had seriously endangered campus safety.
The statement said the juvenile court had conducted multiple consultations and interviews with the girl. It said she realized her mistakes but needed time to learn and adjust.
The sentences can be appealed.
The victim's father appeared in court via video link and said he could not accept that the pair had received reduced sentences because they are minors. Speaking through tears, he said that he would submit an appeal seeking longer prison terms.
The father said he felt the law had protected the perpetrators. He said their regrets should not mean they receive a lighter sentence, and the family would not forgive the perpetrators.
The victim’s family also can not accept family problems, good behavior after the crime, and mental issues as reasons for a light sentence, the father said in a statement posted by Legislator Shih I-you (石一佑) on Facebook.
The father of the boy who carried out the stabbing also spoke in court, where he said his son should be punished for his crimes. He said he had visited his son in detention, and that he had expressed sorrow and regret for the classmate that he killed.
The killing of the student sent shockwaves through Taiwanese society and prompted a response from the central government and then-President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文). The incident coincided with the run-up to Taiwan’s general election and fueled debates about crime and punishment and the education system.
