A detained judge who bore signs of being beaten in custody in southern China was not killed but died of "adult sudden death syndrome", according to an official probe quoted by state media Monday. Authorities conducted an investigation into the death of former judge Li Chaoyang after he was found dead in a cell in early April in the southwestern Guangxi region but found nothing suspicious in his death, Xinhua news agency said.
| Or unusual, being Red Cina and all... |
"Li Chaoyang's sudden death conforms with adult sudden death syndrome," Shi Saosen, chief investigator in the case, was quoted by Xinhua as saying. No explanation was given for "adult sudden death syndrome," but Chinese authorities are often accused of covering abuse of detainees in custody.
| "He kept trying to escape up the stairs, and tripped over that same loose step every time. Why, he musta fallen down a couple dozen flights before he stopped trying!" |
A judge in the Pingle county court in Guangxi, Li was detained on March 23 for alleged bribe-taking. He was found unconscious in his cell in the city of Guilin on April 2 and later died in hospital, Xinhua said. Relatives said Li's body was bruised, his face lacerated, and he had a tooth missing. They demanded a probe into his death, Xinhua said. Photos were later posted online purportedly revealing the injuries.
A joint investigation by law enforcement personnel from Guilin city and the Guangxi regional government said the injuries were sustained when Li fell during repeated escape attempts, adding he later refused medical treatment.
Li died of "adult sudden death syndrome that might have been sparked by an unstable state of mind, and abnormal sleeping and eating habits," Xinhua quoted the investigation report as saying. |
