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Eighteen indicted in
conscript’s death
BLAME: Hung Chung-chiu’s family said they do not
blame the non-commissioned officers so much as the military officials who should
bear the major responsibility
By Rich Chang / Staff reporter
Chief military prosecutor Major
General Tsao Chin-shen speaks during a press conference in Taipei yesterday.
Photo: Sam Yeh, AFP
Military prosecutors yesterday indicted 18
senior officers and non-commissioned officers over the death of army corporal
Hung Chung-chiu (洪仲丘) on July 4.
Staff Sergeant Chen Yi-hsun (陳毅勳) of the 269th Brigade, who oversaw Hung’s
punishment while in confinement, faces the heaviest charge for allegedly abusing
a subordinate to death by forcing him to do excessive exercises. He could face
life imprisonment if convicted.
Chief military prosecutor Major General Tsao Chin-sheng (曹金生) said there was no
evidence that Chen was directed by his superiors to abuse Hung, who died of
heatstroke due to the punishing exercises he was forced to do in hot weather
while being held in disciplinary confinement for bringing a camera-equipped
cellphone onto his base on June 28.
Major General Shen Wei-chih (沈威志), the former commander of Hung’s brigade, was
the highest-ranking military official indicted in the case. He was charged with
failing to check Hung’s physical and mental condition and for heedlessly
approving his disciplinary confinement.
Shen, former deputy commander of the 542nd Brigade Colonel Ho Chiang-chung
(何江忠), company commander Major Hsu Shin-cheng (徐信正), vice company director
Captain Liu Yen-chun (劉延俊), First Sergeant Chen Yi-jen (陳以人) and Staff Sergeant
Fan Tso-hsien (范佐憲) were charged with “collectively imposing illegal punishment
on a subordinate” and offenses against personal liberty, the indictment read,
with prosecutors asking the military court to give them heavy sentences.
Staff Sergeant Hsia Chih-ming (蕭志明) and Sergeant Lo Chi-yuan (羅濟元) — the
director and vice director of the 269th Brigade’s detention center respectively
— Sergeant Lo Chi-yuan (羅濟元), Corporal Lee Nien-tsu (李念祖) and seven other
soldiers serving at the center were charged with negligence for failing to take
appropriate measures while Hung was in solitary confinement to prevent his
death, the indictment said.
First Lieutenant Kao Yu-lung (郭毓龍) was charged with transferring Hung to
solitary confinement without authorization.
According to the indictment, on June 24, Liu, Hsu and Fan discussed how to
discipline Hung after finding that he had forged a physical training grade on
May 6. It said that when they called Hung to discuss the forgery, Hung said he
did not want to leave a bad mark on his record as he planned to take the civil
service examinations in the future.
To make up for what he did, Hung said he would serve as squad leader for a week,
but later skipped out on his duty, saying he was to be discharged soon. The
three got their revenge on Hung by putting him in confinement, the indictment
said.
Hung’s sister, Hung Tzu-yung (洪慈庸), yesterday said that her family was
disappointed with the indictment, adding that the “motive” for the officers’
actions was not clearly stated in the indictment.
It was unfair that the indictment brought most sergeant-level personnel to
court, she said, adding that her family did not so much blame the
non-commissioned officers as the military officials who should bear the major
responsibility in the case.
Wellington Koo (顧立雄), the family’s lawyer, said the indictment punished mostly
personnel serving in the detention center, but did not charge higher military
officials who authorized Hung’s punishment.
Lu Meng-ying (呂孟穎), the discharged medical officer involved in the case was not
on the list of military officers indicted over Hung’s death but will undergo an
evaluation to determine whether he was guilty of medical negligence, Military
High Court Chief Prosecutor Shih Sheng-te (史勝德) said.
Lu, a conscript discharged on July 6 — the same day Hung was supposed to have
been discharged — was the medical officer who treated Hung when he collapsed
from heatstroke while in the brig. If any medical negligence is found, Lu will
be prosecuted, Shih added.
The Taiwan Medical Association said it would provide every necessary assistance
to Lu during the evaluation and praised the former medical officer for his
professional judgment and his handling of Hung’s case despite a lack of data on
the patient and insufficient medical equipment.
Additional reporting by CNA
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