Recently, the second trial verdict of the case of 24-year-old woman Xu Yuan’s death by stabbing in Dalian, Liaoning Province was announced, with the court upholding the original judgment, ruling that her wealthy boyfriend Shan was not guilty and stating that the woman died by suicide. The case has sparked controversy.
According to multiple reports from mainland media on October 25th, the Procuratorate of Pulandian District, Dalian City, appealed the first-instance verdict of the “Xu Yuan stabbing death case.” On October 24th, the court announced the result of the second trial, upholding the original judgment.
The verdict revealed that the incident occurred in the early hours of April 26, 2022, when Xu Yuan and her wealthy boyfriend Shan and friends returned home after a gathering and drinking. A dispute arose between Xu Yuan and Shan because she refused to cook instant noodles for him. Shan verbally insulted Xu Yuan and physically assaulted her multiple times, causing injuries to her face and body.
Subsequently, Xu Yuan lost control of her emotions, grabbed a fruit knife from the kitchen, and stabbed herself in the chest. Shan immediately called the police and contacted his parents, who took her to the hospital for treatment. However, despite efforts to save her, Xu Yuan passed away due to severe injuries in the early hours.
On April 28, 2022, Shan was detained on suspicion of causing death by negligence, which was later changed to residential surveillance. On December 9 of the same year, the prosecution filed charges.
In September 2023, the first-instance court acquitted Shan. The court believed that Xu Yuan, being an adult, harming herself with a knife was an unforeseeable result for Shan, hence not attributing any criminal responsibility to him.
Xu Yuan’s family expressed deep disappointment with the verdict and told the “China News Weekly” that they will continue to seek justice for the deceased.
Xu Yuan’s sister revealed that Xu Yuan and Shan had only known each other for 2 months, introduced by someone, and started living together after getting acquainted. Shan is a second-generation wealthy individual, whose family is involved in the funeral industry.
In the days leading up to the incident, the couple had multiple arguments and violent conflicts. Xu Yuan’s sister mentioned that on the night of April 20, Shan, under the influence of alcohol, physically assaulted her sister, leading Xu Yuan to call the police. Shan’s father also intervened that night, and after mediation, they reconciled.
According to police records, on the night of April 23, Shan again assaulted Xu Yuan and told her, “Go die.” On April 26, another argument erupted between them, resulting in Xu Yuan’s death.
Photos provided by Xu Yuan’s sister showed Xu Yuan lying on the ground with blood around her nose and mouth, a knife stuck in her left chest, and her white shirt propped up by the knife handle, all stained red.
The sister also mentioned that prior to knowing Xu Yuan, Shan had been sentenced three times for offenses such as intentional injury and instigating fights. Xu Yuan had also experienced a period of emotional instability requiring medication for sleeping.
The family stated that due to the lack of witnesses at the time of the incident, they are still uncertain about what exactly happened, and they were only informed about Xu Yuan’s condition over an hour after she was admitted to the hospital.
The family believes that Xu Yuan’s death is related to Shan and that he should not have been acquitted. They questioned the judge’s determination that the “wound was self-inflicted by the deceased.”
The family mentioned that three autopsies performed by the police did not provide a clear cause of death, especially after the second autopsy, where the police mentioned, “The injury could have been self-inflicted, but the possibility of homicide cannot be ruled out.”
In response to this, some mainland internet users said: “The cut marks from suicide and homicide differ in angle and strength. The key lies in the autopsy; even if it was a suicide, the man should not be without blame for the consequences of physical assault.”
Another netizen commented, “The man has a criminal record and experience, and the woman showed no signs of suicide. If there was a jury, there is a high probability he would be deemed a suspect of murder.” “Without conclusive evidence, it’s hard to say for sure.”