Huashan Murder Suspect Requests Competency Evaluation|華山分屍案凶嫌 聲請精神鑑定獲准

A man named Chen Bo-qian is suspected of murdering a woman and dismembering her body at Taipei's Huashan 1914 Creative Park in June. His lawyers have requested a competency evaluation although the defendant has no record of mental illnesses.


Chen Bo-qian is currently on trial for allegedly murdering a woman and dismembering her body at Taipei's Huashan 1914 Creative Park Grassland in June. During his first court appearance, he kowtowed and apologized to the victim's family members. They rejected his apology. Several days ago, Chen, who does not have a record of mental illness, asked his lawyers to request a competency evaluation with the panel of judges. The request was granted. Central Police University professor Shen Sheng-an, who handled the competency evaluation for Taipei Metro killer Cheng Chieh, will evaluate Chen's mental competency.

Didn't all his friends say he was very normal? His friends were subpoenaed and all said he was very normal. His lawyers are making an all-out effort to get this (competency evaluation) for him.

The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights recommend that signatory states not impose the death penalty on people with mental disorders. Past cases where defense lawyers have requested competency evaluations for their clients include the trial of Gong Chong-an, who was convicted of killing a girl in Taipei's Beitou District in 2015. The evaluation concluded Gong suffered from schizophrenia, and he was sentenced to life imprisonment. Wang Jing-yu, who murdered a three-year-old girl, was also assessed as suffering from a mental disorder. The Taiwan High Court ruled Wang suffered from schizophrenia and sentenced him to life imprisonment in a second ruling. It will take several months to complete Chen's competency evaluation.