A 23-year-old man in Taoyuan, Taiwan, has been sentenced to 14 years and 11 months in prison after fatally stabbing his twin brother 16 times following a long-running family dispute.
According to investigators, the brothers had frequently argued over their lifestyles. The younger twin reportedly grew increasingly frustrated that his brother had been unemployed for a prolonged period, placing a heavy financial burden on the family.
The attack took place at their home in Yangmei District on the morning of September 5 last year. Prosecutors said the younger brother suddenly armed himself with a Rambo-style knife and repeatedly slashed his twin, inflicting at least 16 stab and slash wounds to the victim’s head, face and neck.
The victim collapsed in a pool of blood inside a bedroom and was rushed to hospital. However, he succumbed to severe blood loss and multiple puncture wounds at 12.47pm the same day.
After the attack, the defendant reportedly washed the knife in a fourth-floor bathroom before informing his older sister that he had killed their brother. He then showered and changed his clothes while his sister alerted the police.
The suspect was arrested at the scene and later charged with murder under Taiwan’s Domestic Violence Prevention Act.
In delivering its verdict, the Taoyuan District Court’s Citizen Judges Panel said the defendant committed the fatal attack after becoming resentful over his brother’s prolonged unemployment and ongoing family disputes, leaving their mother and sister to suffer irreparable emotional trauma.
The court took into account the defendant’s guilty plea, his cooperation throughout the investigation, his lack of previous criminal convictions, and evidence that he suffers from depression.
He was ultimately sentenced to 14 years and 11 months’ imprisonment. The ruling is not final and may still be appealed.
