TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan's Cashbox Partyworld chair Lien Tai-sheng (練台生) denied criminal wrongdoing Thursday in connection with the death of a 22-year-old employee who fell from an eighth-floor window in 2024.
CNA reported that Lien told the Taipei District Court that he had not committed a crime. His lawyer argued that his actions did not amount to violations of workplace safety law or negligent homicide.
A lawyer representing the employee's family urged Partyworld to make a better settlement offer. The lawyer said a successful business owner should treat employees well and should not approach negotiations over a worker's death simply as a business deal.
During the investigation, Partyworld offered compensation based on legally required workplace accident compensation standards. The offer included funeral expenses and death compensation totaling 45 months of the employee's average salary.
Partyworld also argued that the employee's mother, who had long been out of contact with the family, should take part in settlement talks. The employee had been raised by her father alone.
UDN reported that the fatal accident occurred in November 2024 at Partyworld's Zhonghua branch in Taipei. The female employee, surnamed Wu (吳), worked at the company's Ximen branch and was serving as an acting team leader.
Prosecutors said Wu noticed that an emergency escape window was open while she was working on the eighth floor. Because the bottom of the window was 133 centimeters above the floor, she stacked two plastic baskets to use as a step and asked a colleague to shine a flashlight for her.
Wu climbed onto the baskets and leaned through the opening to pull the outward-opening window closed. One of the baskets then broke and tipped over, causing her to lose her balance and fall about 34 meters into an alley behind the building.
She was taken to a hospital but died from injuries caused by the fall. Her father later filed a complaint alleging that the company failed to provide a safe workplace.
Taipei's labor department found possible violations of the Occupational Safety and Health Act and referred the case for investigation. Prosecutors later indicted Lien and Partyworld's Ximen branch, per TVBS News.
Prosecutors said employers must install guardrails or provide safety belts or other fall-prevention measures at workplace openings or edges more than 2 meters high where workers could fall. They alleged that Lien and the company failed to take such precautions despite the risk to employees working near the window.
Lien was indicted on alleged violations of the Occupational Safety and Health Act and negligent homicide.
