Taipei: The Supreme Court has upheld a 28-year prison sentence for a Chiayi City man who planted and remotely detonated an explosive at a temple festival in July 2023, injuring 29 people, including six children and teenagers.
According to Focus Taiwan, the ruling on Thursday finalized the sentence against Chao Wei-chih. Initially, Chao was handed a life sentence by the Chiayi District Court and the Taiwan High Court's Tainan branch, which was later reduced to 28 years following a Supreme Court-ordered retrial.
The court's ruling detailed how Chao constructed the explosive at a rented residence in Chiayi before July 15, 2023. The bomb was made from high explosives and fireworks powder packed into a metal box, which also contained steel bearing balls and was equipped with a remote-control detonator.
On the night of July 15, around 9:38 p.m., Chao transported the bomb in a bag to a temple festival celebrating the 10th anniversary of the Chiayi and Lienjing Golden Tiger Association in Chiayi City's West District. He placed the bag in a temporary trash collection area, just 2 to 4 meters from the stage, and later detonated the bomb from approximately 30 meters away at around 9:55 p.m.
The explosion resulted in injuries to 29 individuals, including three children and three teenagers. Fortunately, all victims survived after receiving medical attention at local hospitals.
In its initial judgment, the Chiayi District Court characterized the attack as a premeditated and indiscriminate act of violence, sentencing Chao to life imprisonment for the illegal manufacture of an explosive with criminal intent. However, in the retrial, the Tainan High Court concluded that the prosecution failed to establish Chao's criminal intent when he originally created the bomb, ruling that his intent to harm emerged later.
Consequently, Chao received a 14-year sentence for the illegal manufacture of an explosive and an 18-year sentence for the attempted murder of children by an adult, culminating in a total sentence of 28 years. The Supreme Court's dismissal of appeals from both the prosecution and Chao on Thursday rendered the sentence final.