A group of relatives of murder victims gathered in front of the Presidential Office in Taipei over the weekend to share their stories with the public, as the issue of the abolition of capital punishment is being discussed in Taiwan. 'This event was organized for the victims' families -- only they can tell their stories, ' Lucifer Chu, a local celebrity who organized the event, told the crowd of around 1,500 that gathered on the boulevard. Chu, 35, said that he became aware of the plight of such families after the government commissioned him to conduct research related to them. At the end of the event, Chu promised to push for law amendments to better protect the rights of murder victims' families. Taiwan has not carried out a death sentence since late 2005. Currently, it has 44 prisoners on death row. Recent polls show that the majority of people in Taiwan support the death penalty. Former Justice Minister Wang Ching-feng stepped down earlier this month after she refused to sign execution orders for death row prisoners, a stance that sparked outrage among some legislators and families of murder victims. Her successor, Tseng Yung-fu, has made it clear that he will have no problems signing execution orders once all the required procedures have been completed. 