Chinese couple accused of killing daughter’s stalker await decision in self-defence row
- Mother and father in Hebei wait to hear decision of authorities on their claim
- Spurned man said to have harassed woman before break-in that led to his death
Judicial authorities in northern China are caught in a debate over the right of self-defence as they deliberate trying a couple arrested for killing the man who stalked their daughter when he broke into their home.
In July, Wang Lei – who had been spurned by Wang Xiaofei – broke into her family home in Laiyuan, Hebei province, with a knife and a steel rod, started a fight with the 22-year-old and her parents and lost his life, mainland media reported.
The incident was made public last month, when Xiaofei turned to the media for support after her parents were arrested on suspicion of murder. State broadcaster Central China Television examined the story on Monday, triggering discussions on where the limits of self-defence should be.
The issue has gripped China in the past year as other high-profile cases aroused controversy, including one in Fujian province in December where a man was detained for two weeks after he injured another man in a fight to stop an assault on a woman.
