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Sign up with Google Sign up with FacebookQ: If a foreigner is murdered in China, then what would be the consequences?
Would it be a big deal if a foreigner was murdered or disappeared here? Would there be a thorough and professional police investigation, or would some poor innocent scapegoat be found and the case would be swept under the carpet in order to 'preserve face'? I have heard of Africans being killed in Shanghai and their murderers not being found. Sometimes I wonder about the dedication of Chinese police.
11 years 44 weeks ago in Health & Safety - Other cities
ahem, I would advise against being killed ANYWHERE. As for China.. on the one-hand I would like to think that the local authorities might make a deal out of it like they did with the Brit that was killed in Chongqing. However in the case of that fellow, he had links to Bo Xilai, so maybe that is why it was handled so well.
I would honestly say I don't think the locals would put much effort into finding out who and why unless there was enough clamor for them to do so. The Chinese tend to save face at all costs, following up too much on a dead laowai is not good for the local government as it casts a bad shadow on the area. However, if enough people pushed for a good investigation, perhaps yes, but once again it would be a face saving event for outside parties.
I don't put much faith in the Police here... neither do most local people.
MissA:
In the case of the British guy that was killed, at first everyone accepted the suicide verdict. It was revisited only it was only after Wang went rogue and scandal happened.
This is a rather scary topic to talk about but a necessary one. Not sure of the police here how they would handle such a violent crime. I know in Japan the lady killer or as the japanese like to refer to him the ichi killer which means killer number one in Japan was found guilty of killing nearly 100 women all blonde haired foreigners....the doctor in Japan said he was mentally insane so nothing happened to him he still walks the street under police supervision...it's a weird world. Haven't heard of too many serial killers here but that's not saying there aren't any. If the person is found guilty there should be serioius consequences expect of course if a professional doctor finds the murderer completely insane then the law cannot kill the person and to me the consequences aren't that severe.
Usually in this kind of situation the most relevant consequence is that the foreigner dies.
If the foreigner is more or less inconsequential, then the death will most likely be ruled a suicide....
If the murderer is known, then there can be the question of compensation to the family of the murdered........I assume that both parties need to reach an agreement but for foreigners I am unclear as to whether the money will be higher or what basis of calculation is used.
foreigners are never murdered in china. they die of alcohol poisoning . or suicide. or natural causes. murder dose not exist in the harmonious society. so pleas stop asking about it. you might upset someone with all these unharmonious thoughts.
EDIT: I did have a really sarcastic comment here but gotta take it back after reading hulks thread. The police and bystanders there were really good.
I heard or read somewhere that if the local kills a foreigner the punishment is much more severe.....not true or how accurate that statement is but I believe I read this somewhere or heard about it.
RachelDiD:
I've heard that, as well. But then, I've also seen so many underwhelming reactions to crimes against foreigners. I suspect that, if the case causes an international embarrassment to China's image, the punishment would be more severe. If it doesn't, good luck getting justice. That's just my theory, though.
I guess it would depend where the foreigner was from.
Victims from some countries would get quick attention, and others, would just be ignored, including their own embassies.
It depends, looking at the French guy who got assaulted in Shanghai, it seems like it took international pressure for that to be investigated. I bet the cops and the assailants laughed about it together, police and other authority figures do tend to be conservative and probably are more xenophobic than average. That said I have met police here who seemed very honest and professional. I bet they'll quickly track down a criminal if it gives them authorities a good image (and having such a crime against a foreign person is big-time loss of face for most areas, maybe not SH or BJ or SZ etc), but in cases like some of the xenophobic attacks it doesn't seem like the authoritays have much of an incentive to thoroughly punish the offenders.
It would be bad for China, to have the ghost of a ghost walking around, don't even want to think about what could happen.
"Hey, there's a foreigner just been brought in. He was lying at the side of the road with his arms amputated, legs amputated and bodily organs removed".
"Sounds like a suicide to me".
A couple of years ago a 20 something English man was dancing with a girl in a night club in Mudanjaing but decided to leave when a local guy got upset the Englishman left the club and got into a taxi only to be dragged out by the Chinese man and some other men from the Club . They beat the crap out of him and left . Police found the English mans body the next day not far from where he was beaten. the locals got away with murder and you guys never got to here about it The only reason I know, is his work mates told me about it
In August 2012, Gu Xilai was convicted of murdering British businessman Neil Heywood and was given a suspended death sentence.