SHANGHAI: A 20-year-old woman in China was strangled to death by her step-grandfather after refusing his demands for money.
The shocking case was heard by the Yuncheng Intermediate People’s Court in northern China’s Shanxi province on Sept 12, according to Jimu News.
The verdict had not been reached at the time of reporting.
The defendant, a 62-year-old man surnamed Zhang, was accused of committing intentional homicide after he murdered his step-granddaughter at her home in February.
According to the victim’s younger sister, surnamed Bai, Zhang came to their house early in the morning on Feb 22 to ask for money.
After his request was refused, Zhang beat the young woman and used an electric wire to deliver shocks to her mouth and chest. He then strangled her with the wire, causing her death.
“After killing my sister, Zhang waited at our home for over 10 minutes before he left,” her 18-year-old sister said.
The young women’s parents are both deceased.
Bai noted that there were messages on her sister’s mobile phone from Zhang demanding tens of thousands of yuan the week before the attack, claiming he needed money to buy a farm.
“My mother died in a road accident three years ago. There is a compensation fund available for me and my sister as living allowances, which was coveted by my step-grandfather,” Bai said.
The report did not provide details regarding how their father died.
“I don’t understand why he wanted money from us when he has his own child,” she said.
Bai mentioned that Zhang still had a key to their house because he and their grandmother lived there and cared for them many years ago, and the locks had not been changed.
She said she collapsed after her sister’s death because they depended on each other following their parents’ passing.
Bai shared that her sister was a second-year university student in northeastern Heilongjiang province.
“My sister’s beautiful life had only just begun, but it was abruptly and brutally ended,” said Bai.
“I hope Zhang is sentenced to death.”
The news report sparked outrage on mainland Chinese social media.
“How cruel he is. I cannot find words to describe his atrocity,” one netizen commented on Weibo.
“The poor younger sister. She has no relatives left. Her parents died, and now she has lost her sister,” another user added. - South China Morning Post
