TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — After a boxer died in a boxing match after being struck by his opponent, prosecutors on Tuesday (Sept. 26) decided not to charge his opponent and the event organizers.
On Jan. 7, 2023, a man surnamed Lin (林) took part in a boxing match in Zuoying District, Kaohsiung City. He suffered fatal head injuries after being struck by his opponent, collapsed, and died soon after the match.
Police sent both the event organizers and his opponent, a man surnamed Bai (白), for prosecution. However, the prosecutors did not find any evidence of foul play or irregular attacks, and they classified the cause of death as accidental and did not press charges due to insufficient evidence, CNA reported.
During the investigation by the Qiaotou District Prosecutor's Office, Qiu (邱), the person responsible for the event, argued that it was an amateur boxing match, which is why headgear was not included as protective gear for the participants. He added that participants were told to wear other protective gear, and there were three medical personnel on-site.
Qiu said that during the match, there was no evidence that Bai had attacked Lin inappropriately. Bai had not hit Lin in the back of the head or below the waist, he said.
The person in charge of the venue, surnamed Chen (陳), said that after the 2016 Rio Olympics, the International Boxing Association (IBA) removed the requirement for male participants in high school and above to wear headgear. He said the victim fell on his buttocks, not his head, after being struck, and the cause of death was unrelated to protective gear.
Bai insisted that in the first two rounds of the match, Lin did not fall, and in the third round, he indicated that he could continue the fight. It was only after the match had ended that Lin laid down, and Bai said he did not violate any rules.
The prosecutors, after consulting the Chinese Taipei Boxing Association (CTBA), received a response stating that only the adult male category (ages 19 to 40) was exempt from wearing headgear in competitions. After reviewing video footage of the event, they said no irregularities were found on the part of the organizers or Bai.
The association said that Bai did not attack Lin inappropriately in the head or areas below the waist, nor did he violate the rules or referee's instructions. Additionally, the forensic examination determined that the cause of death was accidental.
Based on these findings, the prosecutors decided not to press charges against Qiu, Chen, or Bai. The case is subject to further review upon request.
Lin's family filed a complaint against both the event organizers and his opponent Bai, alleging involuntary manslaughter. The non-prosecution decision stated that despite medical treatment in the intensive care unit, Lin eventually succumbed to cardiac arrest, subdural hematoma, subarachnoid hemorrhage, severe cerebral edema, and brain herniation.
