‘SHE HAD A VERY GENTLE SOUL’
FAMILY’S DEVASTATION AT DEATH OF GIRL, 16, AS POLICE LAUNCH MURDER PROBE
THE family of a 16-year-old girl whose death is being treated as a murder have paid tribute to “a very gentle soul”.
South Wales Police have launched a murder investigation into the death of Wenjing Xu after a “major incident” was declared in the village of Ynyswen, near Treorchy, on Friday.
Two men in their 30s were also injured. A 31-year-old man known to the victim has been arrested on suspicion of murder, and a man aged 38 is also in police custody in connection with the incident.
Both were yesterday being treated in hospital for injuries sustained during the incident.
Emergency crews were called to Baglan Street at around noon on Friday to reports of a stabbing, and a cordon was erected around a takeaway restaurant called the Blue Sky, with a small white tent erected outside the premises.
A family statement released on the weekend said: “Wenjing had a very gentle soul, she was a very quiet person.
“Wenjing helped the whole family, working in the family takeaway.
“She enjoyed school and worked very hard. She was loved by her family.”
South Wales Police launched a murder investigation on Saturday night after the conclusion of a post-mortem examination.
Detective Chief Inspector Mark Lewis said: “Following completion of the postmortem examination we are now able to confirm that we are treating Wenjing’s death as murder
“This is a tragic and shocking incident – our thoughts are with Wenjing’s family and friends at this extremely difficult time.
“I can reassure the community that at this time we are not looking for anyone else in connection with the incident.”
Chris Bryant, Labour MP for Rhondda, said news of the teenager’s death was “absolutely tragic”.
“My thoughts are with loved ones this evening. You just don’t think that something like this is going to happen in the Rhondda,” he said.
Witnesses said more than 30 police and ambulance vehicles were scrambled to the village on Friday, while two air ambulances landed nearby.
Police officers and forensic investigators remained in the small Valleys community over the weekend.
A large white screen remained in place around the immediate area outside the Blue Sky.
The road remained quiet 24 hours after the incident, and most of the investigative work appeared to be taking place inside the takeaway’s premises.
People living nearby spoke of their shock at what has taken place in the normally quiet street.
Mark Bethell, who lives up the street from Blue Sky, said he had gone past the scene shortly before lunchtime on Friday on a shopping trip to Lidl.
He added: “When I got there my sister called me about what happened there [outside the Blue Sky], I missed it by
about five minutes.
“We were down there for about an hour and when we came back the police were everywhere.
“Then [on Friday night], at around about 10 or half past 10, they towed a black car away then that was outside there all day.”
Callum Street, who lives opposite the takeaway, said: “We just heard commotion, then around 20 minutes later there was police outside, armed police with guns, and paramedics.
“We noticed it about [noon] and it carried on all day until about midnight.
“It’s a quiet area... we just know it as the Chinese across the street.”
Another resident said: “The police were advising us to stay in the house and the armed police turned up and backed us up the road.
“You wouldn’t think it would happen on your own doorstep. The response to it was pretty rapid. We don’t know the family and we don’t get any food from there.
“The police left at around 11pm [on Friday] and they reopened the road around then too. But there was police here all night.”
A number of floral tributes were laid next to the police privacy screen on Baglan Street over the weekend as police officers remained parked outside the premises.
One of the tributes simply read: “Thinking of you at this time.” The teenager’s family is being supported by specially trained family liaison officers.
A spokesman for the Welsh Ambulance Service said they had sent one rapid response vehicle, three emergency ambulances, the hazardous area response team and the Wales Air Ambulance to the scene. John Belgrove, a builder who lives in Baglan Street, said he was in his shed when his barking dogs alerted him to emergency services just after noon on Friday.
He said: “I came out and I counted over the next half an hour about 31 different emergency vehicles.” He described seeing one person “crying uncontrollably” with blood on their front, while another two people were treated by paramedics. Another resident said they saw someone being “stretchered” into an ambulance.
They said: “I live in the street, it was about half past 12 on my way to meet my friend. As I come around the corner there was loads of sirens and I saw four police at the bottom with guns telling people they couldn’t come down the hill.
“Then a couple of minutes later I saw someone getting stretchered off into the back of an ambulance literally outside the Chinese by the hill.”
One neighbour said she saw “quite a few police cars” arrive in the area and knew it must be “something serious”.
Mavis Wakeford, 79, said: “It’s quiet, nothing like this has ever happened. I’ve lived here all my life and nothing like this has ever happened before.”
On Friday, First Minister Mark Drakeford wrote on Twitter that news of the incident was “deeply concerning”.
He said: “I’m being kept informed of developments and my thoughts are with everyone in the community during this worrying time.”
Rhondda MS Leanne Wood said her thoughts were with those involved, the people who live in the area and police and paramedics who continue to deal with the aftermath.
She added: “My thoughts go out to the people harmed in this incident, the local residents who may have witnessed it.”
My thoughts are with loved ones this evening. You just don’t think that something like this is going to happen in the Rhondda
Chris Bryant, Labour MP for Rhondda