The murder and dismemberment of a Nanjing University student 25 years ago has take a theatrical turn, in which the parents of the victim are seeking closure by suing the university for enabling the crime. It may be the only absolution they will ever receive.
On 19 January, 1996, Diao Aiqing (刁爱青), a first-year female student in the School of Adult Education at Nanjing University, was brutally killed. In order to destroy the evidence, the murderer cut the body up into more than 2,000 pieces. While the murder remains unsolved, the case has become Nanjing’s most famous and most gruesome crime.
The dramatic development in the murder was reported today, 30 March, 2021. It emerged that Diao’s elder sister, Diao Aihua, yesterday went to Gulou District People’s Court of Nanjing in order to sue Nanjing University for contributing to the conditions that enabled the murder to take place. The relevant prosecution materials were submitted to the court on the same day.
This morning, reporters for Purple Cow News obtained confirmation from Zhou Zhaocheng, the lawyer acting for the case. The Court has issued the certificate accepting litigation and provided this to family members.
Explaining why it has taken 25 years to get to this point, Zhou said, “Diao’s parents have gone to Nanjing University many times to ask for an explanation since she was killed 25 years ago. Nanjing University has never responded because the case has not been solved. Now, her parents have brought a lawsuit considering that they are old and time is not on their side”, reported The Paper.
Grounds for the lawsuit are said to be multiple problems and faults that existed in the campus management of Nanjing University.
On the evening of the murder, Diao’s roommate had made the illegal use of electrical appliances. Abusing their right to educational punishment, the dormitory manager punished Diao by association. She left the dormitory and was soon dead.
In the second instance, Nanjing University did not inform Daio’s parents of her disappearance until the discovery of body parts, over 1 week later. The university’s failure to fulfil its dormitory management responsibilities denied authorities the best time to investigate the case that had every chance to be solved long before now.
Third, Diao’s body parts were found scattered around the campus of Nanjing University. It cannot be ruled out that the murder took place on campus. Believing there to be hidden dangers in Nanjing University’s campus management, Diao’s parents took the decision to file the lawsuit.
The case is ongoing.
