PUBLIC SAFETY: Wan Mei-ling said that lengthy compulsory treatment would deter people from ‘faking a mental illness’ to avoid stiff punishment for crimes they commit
Taipei Times
Date: May 03, 2020
By: Chen Yun / Staff reporter
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Yeh Yu-lan speaks at the Legislative Yuan in Taipei on Friday in front of a sign that reads: “Preparing for danger in times of peace is the only way to avoid disaster and hardship.”
Photo: George Tsorng, Taipei Times
Wan said that she drafted the bill after the Chiayi District Court on Thursday found a 55-year-old man surnamed Cheng (鄭) not guilty of the murder of police officer Lee Cheng-han (李承翰), to “prevent mental illnesses from becoming pretexts for committing felonies.”
The ruling did not meet the public’s expectations, which proves that the Criminal Code needs to be amended, she said.
Five years of treatment might suffice for offenders with mild mental illnesses, but would not be enough for those who commit a serious crime, she added. [FULL STORY]
