In May last year, a man named Lin Zhenghong participated in the "Yishiliu International Mind Body Healing Academy" course. However, he was beaten by the founder Wang Yujie, Internet celebrity dentist Wu Zongru and others due to disputes such as overdue annual fees and trying mooncakes, and died of serious injuries. The Taipei District Prosecutor's Office prosecuted four people, including Wang and Wu, for the crime of injury resulting in death. The Taipei District Court held its first trial today. Except for Lin Chengyi, one of the "Four Guardians", who pleaded guilty, the other three defendants denied committing the crime. Among them, Wu Zongru smiled many times during the trial and had a frivolous attitude. The judge reprimanded him in court and asked him to respect the court and the family of the deceased.
Lin Chengyi said through his lawyer that he had pleaded guilty during the investigation stage, and the focus of his future defense would be limited to the sentencing part. The lawyer also argued that Lin Chengyi was instructed by Wang Yujie to participate in relevant behaviors on the pretext of "helping the deceased." Moreover, when he was investigated after the incident, his whole body was injured and even had a ruptured eardrum. This shows that he and the deceased were the lowest-level members of the same organization, and the relevant circumstances are consistent with the records in the indictment.
As for Wang Yujie, Wu Zongru and Wu Shaocheng, another "Four Guardians", they all deny committing crimes.
During the trial, in addition to denying the crime, Wu Zongru also stated for a long time that he was assisting the deceased rather than harming him. He also frequently talked about the universe, metaphysics and other content not directly related to the case. His speech lasted for nearly 10 minutes. The judge finally interrupted his speech and said bluntly: "This is not the place for you to preach. Can you ask a lawyer to help you answer it?"
Another focus of this case is whether to adopt national participation in the trial process. Wu Zongru originally applied for a general trial, but today he changed his mind and expressed his hope that the case would be tried by a national judge. Wang Yujie said she did not trust the fairness of a general trial and also advocated the adoption of a national judge system.
The judge said that the detention period of the four defendants in this case is short, and the trial schedule will be very tight if the national participation system is implemented. Therefore, the defenders are required to submit a request for investigation evidence and a list of evidence before October 8, and express their opinions on the evidence requested by the prosecutor for investigation, so as to facilitate the follow-up process.
Wu Zongru smiled and shook his head from time to time throughout the court hearing. At the end of the court hearing, the judge reminded him, stopped him and asked him to respect the court and the deceased's brother who was present. He also reminded him to maintain a proper attitude in future court sessions and not to behave frivolously.
