Woman, 31, accused of stabbing her US lover

By Zhang Yan (China Daily)
Updated: 2010-03-24 07:50

Prosecutor says her fear of being jilted led to violence

A Beijing woman was charged with intentional injury for the stabbing of a Chinese-American man she claims had reneged on a promise to marry her, the Haidian Procuratorate said on Tuesday.

The woman, Li Dan, 31, a student at the Central Academy of Drama and a former legal adviser for the China National Offshore Oil Corp, is accused of stabbing the 40-year-old man, named John, on Oct 18 in a Haidian district hotel room.

The US citizen, who she met in an Internet chat room, suffered slight wounds to the head and neck, authorities said.

Jin Zhi, prosecutor for the Haidian Procuratorate, told METRO that after the couple got to know each other, John, a freelance worker, visited Li in Beijing three times in September and October.

They dined, shopped and watched movies. At night, they slept together at a hotel, according to reports.

During that period, Li fell in love with John, who she said promised marriage and a fur coat, the authorities said.

She also believed he had applied for a visa for her at the US embassy, Jin said.

On Oct 12, John came to Beijing a third time. On Oct 16, when Li reminded him of his alleged promise of marriage, John became impatient and proposed a breakup without stating a reason. Li accused him of cheating and begged him to change his mind.

Still, they stayed together overnight at a hotel, Jin said.

The next morning, Li left but called him in a bid to save their relationship.

Jin said on Oct 18, a desperate Li called John, saying: "You once agreed to give me a fur coat as a present. I will soon arrive to fetch it."

She arrived at the hotel with a cleaver and a fruit knife concealed inside her clothing, Jin said.

While John cleaned his shoes in the bathroom, Li stabbed his neck with the fruit knife and slashed him with the cleaver after John grabbed the smaller knife, Jin said.

After suffering six stab wounds, John fled the room and called for help.

Hotel attendants immediately contacted Haidian police, according to reports. Li escaped.

John was sent to Beijing United Family Hospital for treatment.

After being discharged from the hospital, John contacted the US embassy, which then alerted the police and urged that charges be filed.

"If convicted of intentional injuries, the suspect will face imprisonment of less than three years, but if the victim had suffered serious injuries, offenders face a sentence of three to 10 years," Jin said.