High Court upholds life sentence for killer of Malaysian student

Taipei, June 6 (CNA) The Taiwan High Court on Thursday rejected an appeal by Chen Po-yan (陳柏諺), who was found guilty of murdering a Malaysian female student surnamed Chai (蔡) in 2022, and upheld the life sentence handed down to him by a lower court.

During the hearings in the high court, Chen admitted to the murder and asked for a 15-year sentence, so he could be rehabilitated, fulfill his duties to his parents, and try to make amendments to the victim's family.

Meanwhile, the prosecutors and the family's lawyer called for him to receive the death penalty.

The court rejected Chen's appeal and ruled to uphold life imprisonment.

The case can still be appealed.

The incident dates back to April 2022, when Chen contacted 24-year-old Chai, who was then studying at a Taipei university, through the social media platform Instagram.

The two did not interact frequently; however, Chen contacted Chai again on Oct. 3 of the same year. He subsequently visited her rental place multiple times.

On Oct. 13 that year, Chen demanded more than NT$90,000 (US$2,788) from Chai, and when she refused, he strangled her and smothered her face with a pillow, causing her to suffocate to death.

After committing the crime, Chen attempted suicide. While police and firefighters were rescuing him, he confessed to the crime.

In the first trial, the Shilin District Court sentenced Chen to life imprisonment for murder.