Court Observation Recruitment | Third Criminal Retrial Hearing in the Ch'en Ching-k'ai Former Handball National Athlete Case: Professor Tseng Hsiang-fei Summoned to Pre-Retrial Investigation Hearing

In 2009, Ch'en Ching-k'ai lost his eyesight in a traffic accident. After working hard through rehabilitation to return to daily life, he was reported for alleged malingering of blindness. Despite an assessment by National Taiwan University, diagnostic reports from multiple hospitals, and testimony from an orientation and mobility instructor for the blind, the court still concluded that Ch'en was not blind because he could catch a frisbee, play ball, and write. It ruled that he committed "malingering of blindness" to defraud traffic accident insurance, and on February 14, 2018, the conviction against Ch'en for fraud became final.

Four years have passed, and Ch'en's first two applications for a criminal retrial were both dismissed.

Fortunately, in August and December 2020, two civil retrial lawsuits successively resulted in victories, yet the final mile toward criminal vindication has not yet been reached.

This criminal retrial is the third application for a retrial in this case, and it was initiated by prosecutors from the Kaohsiung Branch High Prosecutor's Office following a resolution by the Review Committee for Final Conviction Cases of the Taiwan High Prosecutor's Office. The Kaohsiung Branch High Court held a retrial investigation hearing on April 1 to examine whether there is a necessity to initiate a retrial in this case, and summoned expert Associate Professor Chang Ch'ien-hui from the Department of Special Education at National Taiwan Normal University to appear in court on July 1.

The case will hold its third pre-retrial investigation hearing on Friday, August 19, summoning expert Professor Tseng Hsiang-fei (Graduate Institute of Mind, Brain and Consciousness, Taipei Medical University) regarding the assessment of Ch'en Ching-k'ai conducted by the Taipei Medical University medical team at the request of the Control Yuan.

We sincerely hope that in the new year, Ching-k'ai can reach the end of his vindication. We cordially invite everyone to attend the observation of this investigation hearing, follow the subsequent developments of this case, and walk the path of vindication together with Ching-k'ai!

Online Registration

Time

Friday, August 19, 2022, 10:00

Location

Third Courtroom, 1st Floor, Taiwan High Court Kaohsiung Branch (No. 586, Mingcheng 3rd Rd., Gushan Dist., Kaohsiung City)