Police rule out foul play in worker’s death

Beijing police affirmed on May 9 that a female migrant worker, whose body was found on May 3, jumped from a building of her own accord, and dismissed previous speculation that she was killed.

Speculation that the worker was the victim of foul play sparked protests on May 8 in Beijing.

The Beijing Municipal Public Security Bureau had investigators and experts conduct an on-site investigation in Jingwen Mall in the Fengtai district, where 22-year-old Yuan Liya worked and where her body was found, according to the bureau’s micro blog.

Investigators also reviewed the autopsy report and checked the video from the on-site security camera again.

The video showed Yuan arriving at the mall alone on the evening of May 2.

Police officers visited and talked with workers at the shopping mall later that day.

Based on that evidence, police ruled out the possibility of poisoning, rape and homicide.

Police have shown the evidence and the investigation report to Yuan’s family members, who accepted the police’s conclusions, the micro blog said.

Yuan was a migrant worker from Lujiang county of Anhui province. On Wednesday morning, several of Yuan’s family members, people from her native Anhui province and other shop workers protested in front of the gate of the Jingwen shopping mall, demanding a thorough investigation of Yuan’s death. About 2,000 police was arranged to maintain order.

On May 9, police and armed forces were still on the scene, according to Duan Xiuying, who opens a shop in the nearby Dahongmen market.

Usually the market closes at 10 am or later because it is a morning market. But on Thursday, the market was closed at 8 am, Duan said.

Many police officers were also in the market in the morning, she said.

Hu, a 20-year-old female migrant worker from Anhui province, told China Daily that police were working on Thursday noon to maintain order and people were not allowed to enter the area near the Jingmen mall.