In January of the previous year, 66-year-old frequent hiker Yu Jinhe and six others formed a hiking team. However, while trekking along the southern section of the Central Mountain Range, Yu left the group due to abdominal pain and later died in the mountains. At the time, except for a hiker surnamed Jian, the five others, including the team leader surnamed Shen, were accused by the Kaohsiung District Prosecutors Office of failing to render aid and were charged with negligent homicide.
The Kaohsiung District Court ruled after the trial that Shen and the others could not have foreseen Yu’s death. Moreover, Yu’s cause of death—duodenal ulcer with intestinal perforation, acute peritonitis, and septic shock—was classified as a medical emergency. Even if the five defendants had followed the prosecutors’ suggestion to “actively search for him and wait for a reunion,” they might still not have been able to prevent his death. The court concluded by acquitting all defendants.
(China Times)