Court Rejects Mother's Request to Exclude Lay Judges in Starvation Case

Central News Agency (Taichung) May 22. A woman surnamed Chan in Taichung, who confined and starved her daughter to death last September, was indicted by prosecutors for crimes including confinement and abuse resulting in death. Chan argued that media reports had created a prejudice, and requested that the case not be tried by lay judges. However, the Taichung District Court rejected the request, stating that the public has a right to know, and the decision is final. The court's ruling noted that Chan claimed the detention documents, which contained graphic details, were widely reported by the media, potentially causing lay judges to form a negative bias. The court, however, ruled that media coverage serves to promote the flow of information and public supervision. Given that domestic violence is a matter of significant public interest, the court found no objective evidence that a lay judge trial would be unfair. Chan had forced her daughter to drop out of high school and confined her at home because she was dissatisfied with her daughter's habits, leading to her death from malnutrition on September 25, 114.