Sichuan female college student Xu Xinrui, who reported the community secretary for gambling, was retaliated against and sent to the DeKang Mental Hospital in Chengdu where she has been detained for eight years. Recently, the case has gained widespread attention due to media exposure and intervention by human rights lawyers.
In addition to numerous self-media personalities coming to her support, rights lawyers have personally visited relevant Chengdu departments to negotiate and have sent an open letter to the National Women’s Federation, urging for the protection of every woman’s legal rights and calling for the upholding of the rule of law and social justice.
In 2017, shortly after graduating from university, Xu Xinrui began working at the Mengzhui Bay Street library in Chenghua District of Chengdu. She reported that the community party secretary led officials in gambling at the library and was forcibly sent to the DeKang Mental Hospital by the police and street officials three days later.
The news of the incident was brought to light by a victim who was detained in the same mental hospital as Xu Xinrui and revealed by independent investigator Wu Huaijun. Under hospital supervision, Wu Huaijun facilitated a phone call between Xu Xinrui and herself, during which Xu Xinrui pleaded in a soft voice, “Please save me!” After this, the hospital prohibited her from receiving any more phone calls.
Following the media coverage of Xu Xinrui’s ordeal, various social activists, self-media figures, and legal professionals have extended their support and are actively working to rescue her. Despite the local government’s lack of response and the deletion of many rescue-related articles online, more and more self-media entities are joining in, with enthusiastic individuals forming the “Xu Xinrui Rescue Group” to coordinate efforts to save the unfamiliar Xu Xinrui.
On November 26, lawyers Yu Kai and Yang Hui arrived in Chengdu to commence a new round of investigations. Throughout the day, they visited crucial departments in Chengdu, including the Chenghua branch of the Chengdu Public Security Bureau, the Mengzhui Bay Police Station, the Chengdu Civil Affairs Bureau, and the Chengdu Public Security Bureau Criminal Investigation Detachment. However, their day-long investigations did not yield factual checks or legal acceptance, but rather evasions and excuses.
The lawyer team’s visit aimed to clarify the legality of Xu Xinrui’s admission, her current status of recovery, and rumors of hospital insurance fraud, but they encountered resistance that further deepened suspicions about the local law enforcement system.
Lawyer Yu Kai stated in a briefing that the visited departments were cordial but refused to answer the team’s questions, with the Mengzhui Bay Police Station citing “privacy” as the reason for not disclosing the details of her hospitalization. The Public Security Bureau asked the lawyers to report the case to the local Grass Market Police Station, still resulting in evasions and dereliction of duty.
On November 27, Lawyer Liu Xiaoyuan wrote an open letter to the National Women’s Federation. He emphasized that Xu Xinrui’s case not only affects her personal fate but also reflects potential loopholes in safeguarding the rights of certain groups of women. He urged the National Women’s Federation to send representatives to Chengdu for on-site investigations to ensure the proper resolution of the issue.
As citizens seek the truth and demand justice, calls for Xu Xinrui’s freedom have intensified. After various self-media personalities followed up and appealed for authoritative announcements from local authorities, reports related to the case on platforms like Baidu, Weibo, NetEase, and WeChat have been swiftly deleted.
Wu Huaijun revealed that Xu Xinrui was forcibly administered psychiatric drugs daily during her time in the hospital, leading to severe physical weakness. When she resisted, she was bound and detained, and even subjected to electric shock punishments. Chief psychiatrist Xie of the hospital admitted that Xu Xinrui’s condition had stabilized and she was fit for discharge, but refused to release her citing the need for the originating department (street office and police station) to retrieve her.
In a shocking discovery, Wu Huaijun learned during the investigation that the street office and community police station had transferred Xu Xinrui’s household registration – her parents deceased – to the DeKang Mental Hospital in Chengdu. She has now been classified as a mental health “three no” individual under the Chengdu Civil Affairs Bureau’s jurisdiction.