Xinhua News Agency, Jiangxi Channel, March 18th (reported by Hu Jinwu) - Having suffered from mental illness for a long time, Zeng Qingxiang, a 60-year-old man from Longnan County in Jiangxi Province, asked his good friend Zhong Yichun to help "bury him alive," which resulted in his death by suffocation. Zhong Yichun was prosecuted by the People's Procuratorate of Ganzhou on suspicion of intentional homicide. This case has drawn attention from all sides.
"Burial Request"
Zeng Qingxiang was from Shuixiba Village, Taojiang Township, Longnan County. At around midnight on October 20, 2010, the Longnan Public Security Bureau received a report from Zeng Qingxiang’s son, Zeng Dongliang, who said that his father had been missing since October 18 and that they found his father's clothes at Zhong Yichun’s home in Shenzhen Village, Dujian Town, 12 kilometers away.
After receiving the report, local police discovered Zeng Qingxiang's body under a newly overturned pile of soil behind Zhong Yichun’s house.
When measuring the pit where Zeng Qingxiang was buried, the police found that the pit was about 50 centimeters deep, with a soil layer thickness of over 30 centimeters pressing on Zeng Qingxiang's body, and the soil was loose. The police also observed during the investigation that Zeng Qingxiang's clothing was intact, his death posture natural, without any signs of struggle or fighting. Several plastic bottles containing sleeping pills were also found at the scene.
The public security authorities determined that Zhong Yichun, nearing seventy years old, became acquainted with Zeng Qingxiang in the second half of 2009 and gradually became friends. According to Zhong Yichun's confession, after they met, Zeng Qingxiang repeatedly mentioned wanting Zhong's help to commit suicide due to his illness. On October 17, 2010, Zeng Qingxiang and Zhong Yichun agreed on the location for the suicide and requested Zhong Yichun to bury him if he did not respond after taking the sleeping pills. Zhong Yichun agreed to this request. On October 19, after Zeng Qingxiang gave Zhong Yichun 200 yuan as payment, they went to the hill behind Zhong's house. After lying down in a pre-dug pit and taking the sleeping pills, about fifteen minutes later, when Zhong Yichun called out to him and got no response, he proceeded to bury Zeng Qingxiang.
The forensic pathologist's autopsy concluded that the deceased, Zeng Qingxiang, had congested eyelids and bleeding on the surface of his heart and lungs, indicating death by suffocation. This means that Zeng Qingxiang was still alive when he was buried.
Suspected Murder
After the incident, Zhong Yichun was criminally detained by the police. The local procuratorate subsequently prosecuted Zhong Yichun on suspicion of intentional homicide.
Zeng Dongliang told reporters that his father had suffered from intermittent schizophrenia since 1984, with an episode every two months, appearing normal when there was no outbreak. “What kind of 'euthanasia' is this?” Zeng Dongliang said, noting that his father died of suffocation and had to undergo an autopsy posthumously, then be exhumed and cremated again, which was hard for the family to accept. “If Zhong Yichun had told me the truth after the incident, I wouldn’t have reported it.”
“He’s an honest man who did something stupid,” said Zhong Yihao, Zhong Yichun’s cousin. Zhong Yichun was known as a good person in the village, and everyone found his actions incomprehensible.
Zhong Yihao told reporters that Zhong Yichun's only son also suffered from mental illness, which was likely one of the reasons why he sympathized with Zeng Qingxiang and helped him commit suicide.
Although the investigative departments had clarified the details of the case and Zhong Yichun had no criminal motive to intentionally kill Zeng Qingxiang, due to China's explicit legal prohibition of euthanasia, Zhong Yichun's act of helping his friend, which led to Zeng Qingxiang's death, was suspected of being intentional homicide.
Debate on Euthanasia
The case of Zeng Qingxiang sparked discussions among various parties in the locality regarding euthanasia.
Currently, a few countries and regions around the world recognize euthanasia, but in China, the law explicitly prohibits it.
Since euthanasia is not only a legal issue but also a social and ethical issue, the legal and technical aspects involved are extremely challenging, thus some experts oppose euthanasia.
Ma Xuesong, Director of the Institute of Sociology at the Jiangxi Academy of Social Sciences, believes that the issues involved in euthanasia are very complex and can only be gradually promoted through legislation under the premise of a scientific and rigorous attitude and strict operational procedures, achieving protection of the individual's right to choose death.
“Patients suffering extreme pain, unable to bear it, and having no hope of recovery should have the right to choose to die with dignity,” said Yan Sanzhong, Director of the Law Department at the School of Political Science and Law at Jiangxi Normal University and a standing director of the Jiangxi Crime Research Association. However, he believed that for China to achieve legislation on euthanasia, the following prerequisites must be met:
Firstly, medical technology must be widely popularized and highly developed. Due to the excessive concentration of high-quality medical resources in large cities in our country currently, rural hospitals and health clinics cannot accurately determine whether euthanasia can be implemented for patients. If the law does not clearly specify binding regulations, it could lead to reckless loss of life.
Secondly, the universal medical insurance system must be improved. Currently, medical expenses remain a heavy burden for many families. If euthanasia is approved through legislation, some patients with severe terminal illnesses may consider choosing euthanasia due to the financial burden on their families.
Thirdly, the moral standards of doctors must be significantly enhanced to gain public trust. Preventing some children of patients from escaping their filial obligations by bribing doctors to create euthanasia incidents against the patient's wishes.
Experts warn that under the current legal prohibition, others must never help anyone with euthanasia for any reason.