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Meeting of murdered student's mother and former roommate sparks controversy

2017/11/16 8:50:25   source:China Plus

A video released by Beijing News, which records a face-to-face meeting between the mother of a Chinese student murdered in Japan and the victim's former roommate, has sparked an uproar online.

The meeting took place in August, 294 days after the death of Jiang Ge, a 24-year-old from Qingdao, Shandong province.

Jiang was stabbed to death by her roommate's ex-boyfriend in the corridor of her apartment in Tokyo, in the early hours of November 3, 2016.

Details of the incident have not been revealed by Japanese police.

However, media reports have provided the public a sketch about what had happened.

A review of Jiang Ge's death

Jiang Ge, 24, a former postgraduate at Hosei University, was sharing her apartment with Liu Xin when the murder happened.

Liu Xin, born in 1992, the victim's roommate and close friend, moved in Jiang's home last September, two months after she broke up with her boyfriend Chen Shifeng.

Chen Shifeng, Liu's ex-boyfriend, born in 1991, went to Jiang's apartment to look for Liu in the afternoon on November 2, 2016.

Liu was reportedly alone at home at that time, and she sent Jiang a text asking for Jiang to come back and help her.

After receiving messages from Liu, Jiang came back to confront Chen.

Jiang was intended to call the police for help, but was stopped by Liu, according to a Wechat record in Jiang's phone provided by the victim's mother.

The three reportedly had a quarrel and left the apartment afterwards, but Liu has been tailed after by Chen all the way to her workplace.

That same night, Liu sent another message to Jiang after work in the hope of going back home together.

Jiang picked Liu up at a nearby railway station in the evening, the two walked back to their apartment.

Liu said that she went into the apartment first to change her pants, and she heard Jiang screaming outside a few minutes later.

She tried to open the door, but found it was blocked.

She then called the police and remained indoors until the police arrived and spotted Jiang lying on the corridor floor, barely alive.

Jiang was dead at the hospital due to excessive blood loss, the 24-year-old has over ten knife wounds on her body.

The murder has been proven to be Liu's ex-boyfriend, Chen Shifeng.

Chen was arrested on November 7, 2016

An overdue meeting between mother and survivor

After being informed of her only child's death, Jiang Qiulian, a single-mother who brought up her daughter all by herself since she divorced with her husband when Jiang Ge was two years old, has been trying to talk face to face with Liu Xin for more details about the murder.

However, Jiang Qiulian blamed Liu and her family for avoiding her and refusing to explain the incident to her after the tragedy happened, according to the grieving mother.

They did not offer any apology nor send any condolence, said the mother.

Liu also failed to show up at Jiang Ge's funeral as promised, with her parents later blocking Jiang Qiulian's telephone calls.

On May 21, 2017, Jiang posted an article on Sina Weibo, exposing the personal information and photos of Liu and her parents, asking netizens to offer information about Liu's address and whereabouts.

Liu Xin then urged Jiang's mother to hold back her personal information online, saying "otherwise I won't appear in court as a witness."

Liu told thepaper.cn that she did not see Jiang's mother after Jiang was killed because she was under the supervision and protection of the police, banned from seeing anyone related to Jiang to protect the validity and confidentiality of the evidence.

Liu Xin and her families have reportedly verbally attacked Jiang's mother, with a recording reveals Liu's mother told Jiang Qiulian that "Your daughter died because she's been deemed a short life, not died for my daughter."

Accompanied by constant reciprocal collisions during the past 294 days, the mother and survivor finally had a face-to-face talk in August.

However, their meeting, which lasted for almost two hours, ended with the two failing to reach a conciliation and Jiang Qiulian yelling at Liu Xin begging for her to leave upon seeing her daughter's belongings Liu was handing over, reports the Beijing News.

Liu Xin, born in 1992, Jiang Ge''s roommate and close friend. [Screenshot: Beijing News]

Liu Xin, born in 1992, Jiang Ge's roommate and close friend. [Screenshot: Beijing News]

The Beijing News has captured the two's whole meeting process, and has also interviewed Jiang Qiulian and Liu Xin, separately.

Released on November 10, 2017, the series of interviews, which provide more details about the incident, have attracted controversies.

A barrage of online debates about Liu Xin

Some netizens slammed Liu Xin for being cold-blooded in reacting to Jiang Ge's death.

One of the most upvoted comments below a post on Sina Weibo said: "I can understand that she (Liu Xin) felt too scared to open the door… But the way she responded to the incident makes me feel a chill. After her roommate's death, she did not even say sorry to the (victim's mother)."

Netizens said Liu should have reflected what has led to Jiang Ge's death, and should have comforted her friend's mother, instead of only caring about herself.

Liu previously complained being cyber bullied on Weibo, saying she has lost her job and life of her family have been disturbed.

"She (Liu Xin) has no repentance at all as she was seen in the interview only being emotional in talking about how she lost her job after her personal information was exposed and caused an online outrage but remained indifferent while relating Jiang Ge's death," a netizen commented on Weibo, adding her statements were full of lies.

During her meeting with Liu Xin, Jiang Ge's mother expressed similar feelings.

"You stand out not because of feeling sorry about Jiang Ge's death, but you've been forced by the public opinions which have influenced your life," said Jiang Ge's mother.

Others discuss issues about law and morality, saying Liu is also victim of the incident and she should be judged by laws instead of being judged by public opinions.

They call for understanding and tolerance for Liu.

Wang Zhi'an, a reporter with Beijing News who has addressed the meeting between Liu and Jiang Qiulian, said in a post on his Weibo that Liu Xin showed "courage and sense of responsibility" as she chose to stand out and face the camera.

"At least, at the moment she agrees to meet with Jiang Ge's mother, she is sincere. Please give her a chance," said Wang.

Wang is also appealing the public for focusing more on the real murder, Chen Shifeng, rather than making the two victims hurting each other.

Wang's words have been echoed by various people, who described Liu's suffering as an unreasonable cyber-violence which should not have happened.

However, some still hold doubts.

"Where has Liu Xin been during the past 300 days (after Jiang Ge's death)? " the netizens asked.

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