Peng Wan-ru
- November 30, 1996
- 47 years
- murder
About Peng Wan-ru
Peng Wan-ru, 47, Taiwanese politician, murder, homicide.
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Full Biography
|Peng Wan-ru (Chinese: 彭婉如; 13 July 1949 – 30 November 1996), also spelled Peng Wan-ju, was a feminist Taiwanese politician. The director of the Democratic Progressive Party's (DPP) Women's Affairs Department, Peng advocated for the safety and development of women.
Personal life
Peng married Horng Wann-sheng (洪萬生; Hóng Wànshēng, a mathematics professor at NTNU) and they had a son together.
Assassination and aftermath
In November 1996, Peng disappeared in Kaohsiung, Taiwan; the public last saw her board a yellow Ford Telstar taxi after a DPP meeting the night prior to a DPP convention. She was discovered raped and murdered outside of an abandoned warehouse in Kaohsiung County (now part of Kaohsiung City); her body had more than 30 stab wounds.
Despite an extensive investigation, the police were unable to solve the crime. At least 70,000 Taiwanese taxi drivers had their fingerprints analyzed in an effort to find Peng's killer. Horng said that he felt frustrated that the killer was not found. There have been numerous false leads since the murder.
In 2015, police received tips from the ex-girlfriend of a taxi driver surnamed Yang, who said that he had told her he had killed Peng. Although Yang did not match DNA samples taken from the crime scene, he did match several fingerprint characteristics.
The statute of limitations ran out in 2016, closing the case, which prompted some DPP lawmakers to propose the removal of the twenty-year statute for murder cases and major economic crimes.
Response and legacy
Peng's murder produced an outcry against the lack of protection women have in Taiwan. Peng's proposed quota for one-fourth of the seats of the elected seats to be reserved for women passed during the November 30, 1996 DPP National Congress meeting; the public believes that Peng died during that day.
Peng's death, along with two other well-publicized murder cases, led to mass demonstrations in May 1997. Demonstrators marched on 4 May 1997 and 18 May 1997, demanding Premier Lien Chan's resignation over the perceived rise in violent crime as evidenced by the then-unsolved murders of Pai Hsiao-yen, Peng Wan-ru, and Liu Pang-yu.[citation needed] On 24 June 1998, Taiwan passed Asia's first laws regarding domestic violence, due in part to Peng's death and the case of Teng Ju-wen [zh], who murdered her husband in October 1993, following years of abuse.
The Peng Wan-ru Foundation (彭婉如基金會; Péng Wǎnrú Jījīnhuì), an organization named after Peng and established in 1997 by Peng's husband, supports women wishing to enter the labour force. It trains women for participation in their child-care programs; once they have passed the courses, the Foundation matches them with households or elementary schools in need of child care. On the 29th anniversary of her death, the Democratic Progressive Party announced that A Journey in Search of Wan-ru’s Footsteps, a documentary about Peng's life, had begun filming.
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Sources
- Wikipedia
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peng_Wan-ru
- CC BY-SA 4.0
- Sep 26, 2026
- View article
- Sep 26, 2026
Trivia & Knowledge· 16 questions
Questions drawn from Peng Wan-ru's archived record and the sources above.
1.Which of these individuals was also a victim in one of the three well-publicized murder cases that sparked 1997 demonstrations?
- A.Pai Hsiao-yencorrect
- B.Horng Wann-sheng
- C.Lien Chan
- D.Teng Ju-wen
The 1997 demonstrations were prompted by the murders of Pai Hsiao-yen, Peng Wan-ru, and Liu Pang-yu.
Source: Response and legacy section
2.What is the name of the documentary about the life of Peng Wan-ru?
- A.The Feminist Path
- B.Justice for Peng
- C.A Journey in Search of Wan-ru’s Footstepscorrect
- D.The Safety of Women
The documentary titled A Journey in Search of Wan-ru’s Footsteps began filming on the 29th anniversary of her death.
Source: Response and legacy section
3.How many stab wounds were found on the body of Peng Wan-ru?
- A.Exactly 20
- B.More than 30correct
- C.Fewer than 10
- D.Approximately 50
Peng Wan-ru's body was discovered with more than 30 stab wounds.
Source: Assassination and aftermath section
4.In 2015, what specific forensic evidence did police use to investigate a taxi driver surnamed Yang regarding the murder of Peng Wan-ru?
- A.DNA samples
- B.Financial records
- C.Fingerprint characteristicscorrect
- D.Eyewitness testimony
While Yang did not match the DNA, he did match several fingerprint characteristics found at the crime scene.
Source: Assassination and aftermath section
5.On what date was the Taiwanese politician Peng Wan-ru born?
- A.13 July 1949correct
- B.30 November 1996
- C.4 May 1997
- D.24 June 1998
Peng Wan-ru was born on 13 July 1949 according to the biographical details provided.
Source: biographical introduction
6.What was the profession of Horng Wann-sheng, the husband of Peng Wan-ru?
- A.Taxi driver
- B.Mathematics professorcorrect
- C.DPP politician
- D.Documentary filmmaker
Horng Wann-sheng is identified as a mathematics professor at NTNU.
Source: Personal life section
7.In which city did Peng Wan-ru disappear in November 1996?
- A.Taichung
- B.Tainan
- C.Taipei
- D.Kaohsiungcorrect
Peng Wan-ru disappeared in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, in November 1996.
Source: Assassination and aftermath section
8.What type of vehicle was Peng Wan-ru last seen boarding before her disappearance?
- A.A police car
- B.A yellow Ford Telstar taxicorrect
- C.A private sedan
- D.A public bus
The public last saw Peng Wan-ru board a yellow Ford Telstar taxi before her disappearance.
Source: Assassination and aftermath section
9.Approximately how many taxi drivers had their fingerprints analyzed by police investigating the murder of Peng Wan-ru?
- A.70,000correct
- B.50,000
- C.35,000
- D.10,000
Police analyzed the fingerprints of at least 70,000 Taiwanese taxi drivers to find the killer.
Source: Assassination and aftermath section
10.In what year did the statute of limitations for the murder of Peng Wan-ru expire?
- A.2016correct
- B.2015
- C.2010
- D.2018
The statute of limitations for the murder case ran out in 2016.
Source: Assassination and aftermath section
11.What leadership role did Peng Wan-ru hold within the Democratic Progressive Party?
- A.Director of the Women's Affairs Departmentcorrect
- B.Secretary General
- C.Party Chairperson
- D.Head of Economic Policy
Peng Wan-ru served as the director of the Democratic Progressive Party's Women's Affairs Department.
Source: biographical introduction
12.Which specific proposal by Peng Wan-ru regarding elected seats was passed during the DPP National Congress in 1996?
- A.A 10 percent quota for youth
- B.A one-fourth quota for womencorrect
- C.A seniority-based appointment system
- D.A full parity requirement for all candidates
Peng Wan-ru successfully advocated for a quota of one-fourth of elected seats to be reserved for women.
Source: Response and legacy section
13.Mass demonstrations occurred in May 1997 demanding the resignation of which official due to the rise in violent crime?
- A.President Lee Teng-hui
- B.The Minister of Justice
- C.Premier Lien Chancorrect
- D.The Mayor of Kaohsiung
Demonstrators marched in May 1997 demanding Premier Lien Chan's resignation over the rise in violent crime.
Source: Response and legacy section
14.What major legal milestone did Taiwan achieve on 24 June 1998, partly due to the case of Peng Wan-ru?
- A.The establishment of a gender equality commission
- B.The introduction of universal suffrage
- C.The abolition of the death penalty
- D.The passage of Asia's first domestic violence lawscorrect
Taiwan passed Asia's first laws regarding domestic violence on 24 June 1998, partly due to Peng Wan-ru's death.
Source: Response and legacy section
15.Who established the Peng Wan-ru Foundation in 1997?
- A.The Democratic Progressive Party
- B.A coalition of feminist activists
- C.The Taiwanese government
- D.Peng Wan-ru's husbandcorrect
The Peng Wan-ru Foundation was established in 1997 by Peng's husband.
Source: Response and legacy section
16.What is the primary function of the programs offered by the Peng Wan-ru Foundation?
- A.Public awareness campaigns for women's safety
- B.Political lobbying for quotas
- C.Legal defense for victims
- D.Child-care training and placementcorrect
The Foundation trains women for child-care programs and matches them with households or elementary schools.
Source: Response and legacy section
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