Let court decide in student's murder case

Editor's note: Jiang Ge, a 24-year-old postgraduate student, was killed outside her apartment in Tokyo over a year ago after she was reportedly attacked by Chen Shifeng while trying to defend his former girlfriend Liu Xin from him. Jiang's mother is seeking the death penalty for Chen, whose trial begins in Japan next month, and has accused Liu of being indifferent to the sacrifice of Jiang, sparking a heated online debate. Four experts share their views with China Daily's Wu Zheyu on the issue. Excerpts follow:

Wait until all the facts are out in the open

Qiao Xinsheng, professor of law at Zhongnan University of Economics and Law

According to the law of the People's Republic of China, if a person suffers any physical injuries while defending or saving another person, the beneficiary should appropriately compensate that person. So the mother of the victim can file a lawsuit in court to seek compensation from Liu.

Also, the public needs to wait till the judges check all the evidence. The tragedy took place in Japan, and a Japanese court will hear the case next month, and deliver its verdict.

But if Liu's mother is not totally satisfied with the Japanese court's judgment, she can seek "justice" in a Chinese court by filing a lawsuit. That would be in accordance with Chinese laws on civil proceedings in foreign countries.

Indulging in a debate without having all the facts and details of the case will only create more confusion among the public. All the stakeholders in the case should wait until all the facts are revealed.

Opinion writers should not lead people astray

Fang Changchun, an associate professor at the School of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Nanjing University

The public is angry with Liu because, by not meeting or talking with Jiang's mother, she has all but forgotten that Jiang paid the ultimate price to save her life. If the reports are true, Liu should be strongly condemned as her actions go against Chinese moral code. But newly-revealed details may tell another side of the story, and it may be wrong to jump to a harsh conclusion.

People may have the right to pass moral judgments, and the desperate mother may have no choice but to win public support by arousing people's sympathy. But netizens should not resort to cyber violence to disturb Liu and her family's life. Some netizens have even suggested the court hand down the death penalty to Chen and Liu both, which is ridiculous.

Many commentators enjoy a huge following among netizens, but they should never lead the public astray with their baseless comments or fabricated photos, especially unlawful ideas.

Defense lessons necessary for students going abroad

Luo Yan, associate professor at the Institute of Education, Tsinghua University

On a different note, the education authorities should design defense training courses, and the security and diplomatic authorities should try and devise a comprehensive risk-control system for Chinese students going abroad to study, so that they, to a certain extent, can defend themselves if attacked.

Many youths studying abroad usually face the pressure of exams and suffer from "identity crisis", and some of them develop personality disorders and even hurt others. That partly could explain why Chen went to the extreme of attacking Jiang and Liu has fallen silent since then. Parents and schools should pay greater attention to children's personality traits, because if early signs of personality disorder are ignored, they could lead to grave consequences later.

Safety problem must not be exaggerated

Chen Zhiwen, editor-in-chief of China Education

Many parents whose children are studying abroad might have spent sleepless nights after this case came to light. The media therefore should not aggravate their dilemma by exaggerating the safety problems of youths studying abroad, by citing this case.

And since about 540,000 Chinese youths are studying abroad, some similar cases or accidents could happen. Accidents cannot be predicted no matter where a person is studying, but he or she could learn how not to fall in trouble and be prepared to deal with emergencies both physically and mentally.

Still, few parents or youths try to understand the real meaning of being "fully prepared". For instance, if a youth already shows signs of depressive disorder he or she should not be sent abroad for studies, because even the minutest of problem or a little difficulty could trigger a mental breakdown. Instead, the youth should undergo mental health tests and, if need be, seek professional help.