Police claim prostitution raid as family demands surveillance footage
The mysterious death of a young father detained by police during a raid on a foot massage parlor has once again triggered a public outcry, raising suspicions of torture and police misuse of power.
Lei Yang, a 29-year-old Beijing resident who recently became father to a baby girl, died of an alleged heart attack in police custody in Beijing's Changping district on Saturday, The Beijing News reported.
According to a statement from Changping police, Lei was detained earlier that night when police raided a foot massage parlor upon receiving a tip that the parlor provided paid sex services.
Lei's family and friends challenged the police statement and told the media they were informed three hours after Lei was pronounced dead at a hospital. They said they saw bruises on Lei's head and arms but police refused to let the family take pictures of his body. They also claimed that the location information on Lei's iPhone was deleted.
Lawyer Peng Jiyue, acting on behalf of Lei's family, told the Global Times on Tuesday that they have applied for an autopsy and are awaiting the result.
An employee from Changping district People's Procuratorate confirmed with the Global Times that they have started an investigation into this case and will release the result as soon as possible.
Lei was on his way to the airport to pick up some relatives Saturday night before he was caught by the police, his college friend wrote in an online post, which was later confirmed by Lei's wife.
A 2012 graduate of the prestigious Renmin University of China, Lei had been working at the China Association of Circular Economy, a national, multi-industry organization with approval from the Ministry of Civil Affairs.
Soliciting prostitutes in China will result in administrative detention and does not constitute a serious crime. However, prostitution still bears social stigma and people involved in paid sex would risk breaking their marriage, damaging their reputation or even losing their job.
'Suddenly felt ill'
The police statement said that when police tried to take Lei to the police station for an investigation, he "resisted and attempted to run away."
Police said they took coercive measures against him but he suddenly felt ill.
Five other people were also detained in the police raid, whose names and occupations were not released.
According to news site caixin.com, the foot massage parlor was shut down as of Tuesday, while witnesses said that Lei was screaming for help as he was being pursued by several plainclothes officers in a community compound connected to the foot massage parlor.
It was unknown how Lei and the police officers were engaged in a chase, the report said.
The news report also said that Lei's college friends demanded to see surveillance footage at the community compound but were told the "cameras were all broken" and that "the surveillance footage was gone."
In a separate report by The Beijing News on Tuesday, Lei's wife said she doesn't care if her husband had solicited prostitutes. She said she wanted to know if the law enforcement procedures that night were problematic.
Reports about Lei's death were splashed across the Chinese media on Tuesday, with many people accusing police of torture and abuse of power.
"For a long time, people have been vocal about their mistrust of the police. Lei's mysterious death became a channel for them to vent their dissatisfaction," a public administration expert who demanded anonymity told the Global Times on Tuesday.
"The police should promptly release more evidence to the public and face their questions boldly. If there is malpractice in the investigation, the police officers involved should be punished," the expert said.
