China | Prosecutors seek death penalty against jobless man who hurled bricks from high-rise, killing one
The man has admitted he had a grudge against society and was trying to kill indiscriminately so that he would be arrested and executed, according to a report by the news outlet cqcb.com.
The tragedy happened on June 22 when the 28-year-old victim travelled to Changchun in China’s northeastern province of Jilin and visited a bustling snack street.
However, a brick thrown from a high-rise residential building struck her on the head.
The woman, surnamed Lou, collapsed at the scene and was declared dead in the ambulance on the way to hospital, the report said.
The 23-year-old culprit, surnamed Zhou, lived in a rented flat in the high-rise building, turned himself in to the police soon after the incident.
He told the police he had hurled eight bricks from his 32nd-floor room on that day, one of which smashed on to the victim.
In the five days prior to Lou’s death, Zhou threw five-litre bottled water containers, unused soft drinks cans and bricks from the building, causing slight injuries to at least two people.
He told the police he got the bricks from corridors inside the building.
Zhou told the hearing of Changchun Intermediate People’s Court on November 27: “It’s meaningless to live on. I wanted to jump from the flat but I felt scared. I wanted to kill indiscriminately so that I would be arrested by the police and executed.”
The court has not ruled yet, but prosecutors want the death penalty because Zhou did not apologise to the victim’s family and showed no remorse.
The simple fact that he surrendered to the police does not merit leniency.
Lou’s sister said Zhou’s family, who live in southeastern Jiangxi province, has never apologised to her family.
All they have done is present a medical certificate to prove that Zhou suffers from mental illness.
This assessment of Zhou’s mental state has been rejected by the police following checks.
The victim’s sister said after the case against Zhou is closed, she will sue the owner of the residential building, its property management company, as well as those responsible for the street below.
“If any of these companies had acted to stop Zhou when he first threw objects from his room, my sister would not have encountered such a tragedy,” the sister was quoted as saying.
China’s Criminal Law stipulates that a person who throws objects from a height and causes serious injury, death or big losses for public assets will face a jail term of at least 10 years, a life sentence or execution.
“It’s right to hand down the death penalty on the culprit. It could serve as a warning to those who like to throw objects from a height,” one online observer said.
“I support Lou’s family in their battle to hold the three companies involved accountable,” said another.
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