Police ease organ theft fears
By Dong Zhen |
April 21, 2011, Thursday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
SHANGHAI police yesterday clarified there is no confirmed threat of gangsters roaming the city's streets trying to kidnap young women in order to steal their organs after a women's story of an attempted abduction spread rapidly online.
The victim said she was nearly kidnapped by two strange men outside Hengshan Road Station on Line 1 in the middle of the day on April 11. The duo tried to drag her away and made it look as if it was a lovers' spat as one man pretended to be her husband. Some onlookers were confused and didn't interfere as she struggled to escape. A male friend of hers arrived in time and the men vanished before police arrived.
Police yesterday confirmed they had responded to such an emergency call, which they recorded as "a dispute involving two men and a woman."
Officers added there was no evidence indicating the men wanted to steal the woman's organs.
The woman's online account of what happened ends with her saying, "my organs could have been stolen if I hadn't escaped."
This seems to have triggered interest in her story with others posting a condensed version warning of organ stealers.
Shanghai Daily has learned the woman first uploaded her story onto a social networking website popular among local office workers on April 14. The victim, in her early 20s, recalled her experience, obviously trying to warn others of similar scams.
"Police told me that women should scream loudly and make big movements when encountering such a situation. Otherwise, others can be fooled into believing it is a lovers' fight," the victim wrote.
She said she hoped other women could learn how to protect themselves after hearing about her story.
She also said she suspects the men intended to steal her valuables.
Lawyers had mixed viewpoints about the case. Some lawyers said reposting such stories is irresponsible and people can be accused of "deliberately spreading rumors" if they harm public safety.
However, Wu Dong, a local lawyer, disagreed.
"Netizens should not be blamed in this case as they apparently intended to help," Wu said.
"Instead, authorities should always respond quickly by releasing the facts whenever there are common worries concerning public safety," Wu said.
The victim said she was nearly kidnapped by two strange men outside Hengshan Road Station on Line 1 in the middle of the day on April 11. The duo tried to drag her away and made it look as if it was a lovers' spat as one man pretended to be her husband. Some onlookers were confused and didn't interfere as she struggled to escape. A male friend of hers arrived in time and the men vanished before police arrived.
Police yesterday confirmed they had responded to such an emergency call, which they recorded as "a dispute involving two men and a woman."
Officers added there was no evidence indicating the men wanted to steal the woman's organs.
The woman's online account of what happened ends with her saying, "my organs could have been stolen if I hadn't escaped."
This seems to have triggered interest in her story with others posting a condensed version warning of organ stealers.
Shanghai Daily has learned the woman first uploaded her story onto a social networking website popular among local office workers on April 14. The victim, in her early 20s, recalled her experience, obviously trying to warn others of similar scams.
"Police told me that women should scream loudly and make big movements when encountering such a situation. Otherwise, others can be fooled into believing it is a lovers' fight," the victim wrote.
She said she hoped other women could learn how to protect themselves after hearing about her story.
She also said she suspects the men intended to steal her valuables.
Lawyers had mixed viewpoints about the case. Some lawyers said reposting such stories is irresponsible and people can be accused of "deliberately spreading rumors" if they harm public safety.
However, Wu Dong, a local lawyer, disagreed.
"Netizens should not be blamed in this case as they apparently intended to help," Wu said.
"Instead, authorities should always respond quickly by releasing the facts whenever there are common worries concerning public safety," Wu said.
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