TAIPEI (TVBS News) — The Taiwan High Court (台灣高等法院) commuted Chen Yen-hsiang's (陳彥翔) sentence to life imprisonment on Wednesday (Dec. 11), considering his remorse and other factors despite the case's gravity. Chen's arson at Zheng Yi Tire Repair Shop (正義輪胎行) in Hsinchu City (新竹市) on June 15, 2022, claimed eight lives, including his close relatives.
Following the ruling, Lin Hsueh-hung (林雪紅), the mother of Chen's deceased sister-in-law, expressed her despair outside the court. She questioned the judges about what constitutes a death penalty-worthy case and criticized Taiwan's judicial system. Lin asked the public if they could accept such a decision and described the law as effectively abolishing the death penalty.
Lin wondered why a heinous murderer could evade execution and what the future implications would be for victims' families. She urged, "Don't let the pain I suffer today become the pain of others tomorrow." Lin equated the abolishment of the death penalty with "collective karma" and challenged the court to define what qualifies as the most severe case, if not this one.
The incident occurred after Chen argued with his parents and bought 20.35 liters of gasoline, which he poured on the shop's first floor before igniting it. Only Chen and his father survived. Chen claimed he aimed to scare his father with the gasoline and accidentally dropped a cigarette, which started the fire. However, his father accused him of using a lit paper towel to start the fire.
