Retired French Professor Dead: Suspected Suicide

A 68 year-old retired Professor of French at National Taipei University was found dead this evening, October 16, 2016, after apparently falling from his tenth floor apartment in Taipei City’s Wenshan District.

Police said there was no sign of struggle at the scene. No suicide note was found, nor traces of alcohol or drugs.

According to media reports, neighbors and former students knew the man as 畢安生. He lived in a 10th floor apartment in Wan-ning (萬寧) Street. He had no known relatives in Taiwan.

Update

Bi An-sheng (Jacques Picoux), was partner to Taiwanese actor and agent, Zeng Jing-chao for over 35 years. Their partnership was not legally recognized, and after Zeng died last year, Bi An-sheng suffered from depression.

As well as teaching French Bi, was an artist and actor. He played the role of a sorceror in the 2015 film The Assassin (刺客聶隱娘),

During Zeng’s battle with cancer, he attempted to have Bi An-sheng taken care of in his will so that he could live out his days comfortably. According to various media reports including this Apple Daily story from October 15, 2015, Zeng’s family made medical decisions to attempt to keep Zeng alive with artificial respiration. His life partner had no legal rights, and no say in these decisions.

Social Democratic Alliance Greens candidate legislator Li Yan Yung shared the couple’s story on Facebook last year as an example of the importance of legal rights for same-sex couples.

Professor Picoux on Wikipedia (Chinese Language).

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