Miaoli random attacker released from prison re-offends, sentenced to 29 years; victim's family: should be life imprisonment

Qiu Ming-zhi, after using drugs at his home in Miaoli City on the afternoon of October 2 last year, conceived the idea of randomly killing people. He tied a kitchen knife to his left hand and rode out, successively attacking and stabbing two elementary school children and a man surnamed Lin. After committing the crime, he returned home and was arrested after a standoff with the police.

After the Miaoli District Prosecutors Office concluded its investigation, Qiu Ming-zhi was indicted for violating the Children and Youth Welfare and Rights Protection Act, and for attempted murder (twice) against children, attempted murder (once) against adults, and public endangerment under the Criminal Code, with a specific request for life imprisonment.

Miaoli District Court today announced its first-instance judgment. The collegiate panel, after considering the circumstances of the crime, the defendant's criminal record, and his attitude after the crime, as well as personality traits, criminal policy, and crime prevention factors, sentenced him to a medium-to-high term for the attempted murder and attempted murder against children, setting the total executable sentence at 29 years within the statutory maximum of 30 years of fixed-term imprisonment.

Regarding the verdict, the wife of the man surnamed Lin expressed strong dissatisfaction in a phone interview with the media. She said that Qiu's 29-year sentence means he could be paroled after serving about half, or 14 years, which would cause great panic among the public. She had originally expected a life sentence and will contact a lawyer to discuss an appeal.

Mrs. Lin pointed out that her husband suffered deep stab wounds to his right chest and left lower back, complicated by hemopneumothorax, diaphragm, and liver lacerations, among other severe injuries, almost costing him his life. Although he has largely recovered, his lung function has not fully returned, and he coughs involuntarily.

She believes this case is highly publicized, and after the incident, similar random attacks occurred in other cities, making it difficult to achieve a deterrent effect without severe punishment, which will also affect public trust in the judiciary.

Additionally, the church teacher surnamed Huang, who bravely rescued the injured girl from the assailant's knife during the incident, expressed respect for the judiciary regarding the verdict. She also hoped that government departments would strengthen the tracking of criminal offenders to prevent similar incidents from recurring.

Miaoli District Prosecutors Office stated that it has not yet received the judgment. After receiving and reviewing the reasons for the judgment, it will consider whether to appeal. (Edited by: Hsiao Po-wen) 1150407

Cherish life, stay away from drugs. You can call the Drug Hazard Prevention and Control Center hotline at 0800-770-885 for addiction information and professional assistance.