In 2024, a female accountant surnamed Tsai was tortured to death at Shuiyue Cottage in Da'an District, Taipei City. Buddhist writer Wang Xu (real name Wang Jiangzhen) was sentenced to 12 years in prison in the first instance. Liang Biyin, one of the "Three Guardians" and sentenced to 10 years in the first instance, is about to expire. The High Court held a hearing today. Defense lawyer Qian Jianrong and the judge once clashed over scientific control measures, criticizing the widespread use of technological surveillance. It was originally designed for defendants in sexual assault cases and should be reserved for "those who need it." The appointed judge countered that scientific control is an alternative to detention and is not designed specifically for sexual assault cases.
On the 4th of this month, Wang Xu and others were indicted by Beijing prosecutor Liao Weizhong for imprisoning and abusing a female believer named Jiang. Under the long-term control and brainwashing of the teachings of the monastery, Jiang was extremely afraid of Wang and others and did not dare to seek help. Until the murder of a female accountant named Cai occurred, and cadres were detained one after another, they finally mustered up the courage to break away from the group's control and successfully rescued themselves and returned to their families.
As a core cadre and one of the three guardians of the law, Liang Biyin was sentenced to 10 years in prison by the Taipei District Court of first instance for the crime of joint injury resulting in death in the case of Ms. Tsai’s torture to death. In the case of Ms. Chiang’s torture of a female prisoner, Ms. Liang was also involved in the case. The Taipei District Court asked the court for a harsher sentence.
The High Court of the Second Instance only summoned Liang Biyin to continue the preparatory court. This is also the first court hearing since the second case involving Wang Cai and others due to Jiang's abuse. Since Liang's restrictions on leaving the country and technological surveillance are about to expire, the interrogation court will be held later.
Prosecutors from the High People's Procuratorate advocated that border control and technological surveillance should be extended. Ms. Liang said that she did not think it needed to be extended, and that technological monitoring often showed abnormalities, which had caused trouble to her.
Qian Jianrong, Liang's defense lawyer, also questioned the technological surveillance measures, saying that the number of technological surveillance equipment is currently limited, and the system was originally designed to target defendants in sexual assault cases. Related equipment should be given priority to those who are at high risk of escape or who need surveillance. He believes that the current use of technological surveillance is rampant, and the court should re-examine the necessity of application, and that alternatives to custody are not limited to technological surveillance, and there are other alternative measures that can be adopted.
The appointed judge retorted that technological surveillance was not originally designed to target only defendants in sexual assault cases. It is essentially an alternative to detention, and whether it should be adopted must still be judged on a case-by-case basis. The sister of the deceased said that the defendant had strong financial resources and was at risk of escaping, and suggested that the prosecution be extended. She had always hoped that the defendant would honestly explain the case, but it seemed that he had not.
At the end of the court, the appointed judge informed that whether to extend technological surveillance and restrict travel abroad will be decided by the collegial panel after separate deliberation.
