In 2019, Railway Police Bureau police officer Li Cheng-han was killed aboard a train by a man surnamed Cheng over a ticket dispute. On April 30, the Chiayi District Court ruled that Cheng was innocent, saying he is exempt from capital punishment and life imprisonment on the grounds that he suffers from psychosis. Li's parents disagreed with the ruling.
Li Cheng-han's father was supported by friends and family as he departed Chiayi District Court. On April 30, the court ruled that the man who had killed Li, a Railway Police Bureau police officer, was innocent. Li's father disagreed.
(Is there a big difference compared to what you were expecting?) Way, way too far from what I expected.
Li was killed on July 3, 2019 aboard a Taiwan Railways train at Chiayi Station by a man surnamed Cheng over a ticket dispute. Chiayi District Court explained that the panel of judges believed Cheng was suffering from a psychotic episode at the moment of the murder and was not able to judge his own actions. It therefore ruled that he was innocent based on Article 19-1 of the Criminal Code.
When the conductor asked the defendant to get off the train while it was at Chiayi Station, the defendant was delusional and said the conductor and other passengers were trying to harm him. He was talking gibberish. All of this was captured by other passengers on their phones. This was sufficient evidence to show that the defendant's mental state was extremely unstable at that moment, which severely affected his cognitive and comprehensive abilities.
The court also said the defendant is no longer in custody, and it has ordered him to undergo medical treatment for his psychosis as he could pose a danger to society and to avert a similar incident from occurring. It also set bail at NT$500,000.