Police in Kunming probe drowning death of female student, 18

Police in Kunming, Yunnan province, said they have organized a special task force to investigate the death of an 18-year-old female student that sparked controversy and led some members of the public to question the credibility of local law enforcement.

According to a statement issued by the Public Security Bureau of Kunming on Monday, the special task force led by the deputy chief of the city’s public security bureau vowed to investigate the case and examine preliminary efforts made by the police in Panlong district, where the death occurred.

On Sept 8, Li Xincao, a sophomore at Kunming University of Science and Technology, went out with her roommate, surnamed Ren, and two of Ren’s male friends, surnamed Li and Luo.

After spending several hours at a bar that evening, according to local police, Li Xincao ran across the street and jumped into the nearby river.

After receiving a report of the incident, local police brought Ren, Li and Luo to the police station as suspects and questioned them further.

A body was found on the dock of a nearby lake on Sept 11, and after a preliminary forensics examination and confirmation from relatives, the body was identified as that of Li Xincao.

Li’s cousin reported to the public security bureau on Sept 16 that Li was molested by the males before she drowned.

The case drew the public’s attention on Oct 12 after an internet user claiming to be Li’s mother posted a message on Sina Weibo, the biggest microblogging platform in China.

The mother said on Weibo that early on Sept 11, the Panlong police informed her that the cause of her daughter’s death was suicide.

They said she agreed to jump into the river with others after they all finished drinking, but only she jumped and later drowned.

Later in the day, the mother posted a three-minute clip of surveillance footage taken at the bar. The clip showed Luo slapping Li Xincao’s face twice.

The mother asked the police to perform an autopsy, which was completed by the forensics examination center of Kunming Medical University last Sunday.

The result has not been released. Developments in the case will be posted in due course, police said.