Public express outrage over OI death ruling

The student, identified only as Chen, was helping his classmate Yen Hsu-nan descend the stairs at school five years ago when the accident happened. The stairs, wet from the rain, caused Chen to slip and drop Yen. The impact sustained by Yen broke numerous bones in his body and led to his death.

Yen suffers from osteogenesis imperfecta (OI), a rare genetic disorder caused by the low amount of collagen produced in the human body. People that suffer from OI have bones that are extremely weak and brittle and can be broken or fractured with the slightest impact.

The court ruling, which specified that Chen and the school are jointly responsible for Yen’s death, caused uproar among the populace. KMT Legislator Hsu Chung-hsiung, who suffers from polio, expressed that the judgement sends a negative message to society.

“The court decision has negated the kindness of the Taiwan people,” lamented Hsu, who described the ruling as coming from a “black planet.”

The fault, according to Hsu, is with the school instead of Chen, who only wanted to assist his classmate. For years, the government has been promoting the idea of a “zero obstacle” environment for the disabled. However, areas such as Pingtung County, Tainan County, and Hualien County have made little or no improvements so far, said Hsu.

The Osteogenesis Imperfecta Foundation (OIF) shared Hsu’s view and stated that its members will not press charges against anyone that causes bodily harm or death to them when trying to assist them. The incident, said OIF, has great ramifications for OI patients nation wide.

“The ruling might discourage the public from extending a helping hand to people suffering from OI in the future,” said OIF. This would only cause severe inconveniences for the disabled people in society, it added.

OIF members further stated that it will mobilize and demonstrate their support for Chen’s willingness to assist the disabled. OIF indicated that it will begin to fund raise to cover the fines dealt to Chen. OIF will not allow Chen to pay for the fines, it said.

Meanwhile, the Yen family was under heavy criticism by public opinion. The Yens stated that bringing Chen to court is the only way they can charge the school for neglect.

Money has nothing to do with the legal process against Chen, said Yen Fan wei, brother of Yen Hsu-nan. We only brought charges against Chen under the advice of our lawyer, who indicated that this is the only way to receive compensation from the school, explained Yen.

The only thing demanded from Chen is an apology, continued Yen, who further indicated that the school is at fault for not providing amenities for its handicapped students.

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