TAICHUNG CITY, Taiwan — October 12, 2025 — A Taichung court has ruled invalid the controversial marriage between a man surnamed Xia and a wealthy high school student surnamed Lai, following allegations that the union was fraudulent and motivated by financial gain.
Xia, 27, had been previously sentenced to one year and six months in prison after prosecutors determined he falsified marriage documents when registering the marriage. The court found that Xia had no genuine intention of entering into matrimony with Lai, who was reportedly worth around NT$500 million. He began serving his sentence in February 2025.
The Taichung District Court finalized its decision in June 2025, concluding that despite Xia presenting witnesses, there was no evidence showing that Lai had sincerely agreed to marry him. Since neither Xia nor Lai’s mother appealed the verdict, the marriage was officially declared void.
The case stems from a tragic incident on May 4, 2023, when Lai, then 18 years old, fell to her death from a building in Beitun District. Prosecutors initially investigated Xia for possible homicide but later cleared him of murder charges, citing insufficient evidence. However, he was prosecuted for forgery of public documents related to the marriage registration.
Meanwhile, Lai’s mother — who was originally from mainland China — has been involved in a separate inheritance dispute. Having lost her Taiwanese household registration in 2011, she may only be legally entitled to inherit up to NT$2 million, as stipulated under the Act Governing Relations between the People of Taiwan and Mainland China. Her legal team continues to seek restoration of her Taiwanese nationality to secure full inheritance rights.
Legal analysts note that if Lai’s mother cannot inherit beyond the legal limit, the remainder of Lai’s estate may be passed on to other relatives in Taiwan, in accordance with civil law succession rules.
Despite multiple investigations and appeals, prosecutors reaffirmed in May 2025 that Xia would not face further criminal charges related to Lai’s death. However, questions about motive and intent continue to draw public scrutiny as the case closes.