Fallen Old Lady in Sichuan Blames Children Who Helped Her Up

From NetEase:

Sichuan “False Accuser” Old Woman Appeals for Reconsideration, Complains Tearfully: May My Entire Family Die if I’m Lying

Summary: Sichuan “false accuser” old woman Jiang Guangrong maintained to the media that she was knocked over by the children and feels that she has been wronged. To prove that she is innocent, she vowed, “if I’ve said anything false to scam anyone, may my entire family die”. In the face of the handling and decision made by the Public Security Bureau [police], the elderly person’s family express dissatisfaction and will appeal for reconsideration.

Related News:

Sichuan 3 Children Who Helped Up Old Lady Are Instead Framed, False Accuser Old Lady Detained for 7 Days [on NetEase]

3 Children Who Helped Up Old Woman Accused of Knocking Her Down, Police File Case as Scam/False Accusation [on NetEase]

The Great-Grandmother’s Side:

The matter isn’t over yet

With regards to the handling by police, Grandma Jiang and family express dissatisfaction. She still insists she was knocked down by the children, feels she has been wronged, and weeps. To demonstrate her innocence, she’s even made the “may my entire family die” [if lying] oath.

The Children’s Side:

[Hopes the matter] cools down as soon possible

Facing media that rushed over from all over the country, the child’s father Mr. Yang is most worried about his child’s head swelling and he is looking forward to the matter quickly “cooling” off, so they can return to their ordinary, quiet lives.

A 9-year-old child helped up an elderly person but was instead grabbed and held by the elderly person demanding compensation her for medical expenses. After 5 months of back and forth, just a few days ago, for extortion, the Public Security Bureau gave administrative detention and fines as punishment to Grandma Jiang and her son. However, because Grandma Jiang is already over 70 years old, administrative detention is not enforced in accordance with the law (Chengdu Business Daily follow-up report). Yesterday, the elderly person continued to insist that she was knocked down by the children, felt she was wronged, and even vowed: “if I’ve said anything false to scam anyone, may my entire family die.” In the face of the handling and decision made by the Public Security Bureau [police], the elderly person’s family express dissatisfaction and will appeal for reconsideration.

Great Grandmother Responds

Weepingly says “may my entire family die If I’m lying”

Yesterday afternoon, the elderly person Jiang Guangrong accepted an interview with this reporter for Chengdu Business Daily. “I fell and injured myself that day because several children ran into me. At the time, I had just walked to the middle of that courtyard by myself, and 3 children who were horsing around ran over, with one of the children running into me and knocking me down. I didn’t even ask them to come help me up. I grabbed and held the child that ran into me.” Grandma Jiang feels she has been wrong and unable to control her emotions, she repeatedly cried. According to her relatives, she has only eaten one meal over the past two days, her mood extremely sad, and did not sleep at all last night. “I did not say any lies, much less extort anyone.” Grandma Jiang cried, “I never thought I’d be injured and hurt, and that my son would be locked up.” To profess her innocence, she cried and swore: “if I’ve said anything false to scam anyone, may my entire family die.”

Yesterday afternoon, the elderly person Jiang Guangrong had her son-in-law, grandson, and daughter-in-law go to the Nanwai police station and lodge a written complaint of dissatisfaction with the police’s handling [of the case]. A representative for the Nanwai police station expressed that the relevant individuals unhappy with the administrative punishment may appeal for reconsideration with the higher Public Security Bureau or the county (area) government, as well as file an administrative lawsuit directly with the People’s Court.

On-Site Visit

Hometown villager says “she’s usually [seen as] a good person”

Grandma Jiang’s daughter-in-law Hu Shimei says they they purchased a home and have been living together for 10 years already. “My husband and son do interior decorating/renovations, I polish shoes, and the entire family’s income is at least 10,000 RMB and up each month. Although we aren’t considered a particularly rich household, we live quite well. Using an elderly person’s body to go con other people’s money, that’s something we wouldn’t be able to do”

According to villager and small group leader Gong Fashun of the elderly woman’s hometown, “she’s usually [seen as] a good person, not disliked.” Gong Fashun says the elderly woman and is on relatively good terms with her neighbors in the village, and hasn’t heard anything bad about the elderly woman before. “I’ve lived in the village for 40-50 years now and I’ve never heard anyone say Old Lady Jiang uses falling down to go extort others.”

Child’s father: Wants to live in peace, most afraid of child’s head swelling

After this period of time, Mr. Yang now looks forward to the matter “cooling” off, “We don’t want the media to excessively interfere with our lives. We especially don’t want the media to excessively disturb our child. We’re just ordinary people, and we only want to live our lives in peace and quiet.”

However it is clear that this wish of Mr. Yang will be difficult to realize for the time being. Over the past few days, media from all around the country have rushed over and begun to focus attention on these three households. “What I’m most worried about is my child’s head swelling. I have told my child more than once that in all of this, you guys aren’t actually heroes and merely did something that ordinary people should do.”

What has gratified the three fathers is that the three children remain as lively as before. However, there have been a few tiny changes that Mr. Yang has noticed. While being interviewed, one of the children expressed that from now on, when they see a fallen elderly person, they’ll first go find a witness and then lend a hand to help the elderly person up. This made Mr. Yang grimace as he listened on the side. After going home, Mr. Yang told his own child that when someone is in a difficulty, what one should first think of isn’t finding a witness, “and even if you aren’t able to help, you should first dial 110 or 120 [emergency assistance numbers]”.

Comments from NetEase:

爆破一组组长 [网易广西梧州市网友]：

Yesterday afternoon when I got off work, I purchased some daily necessities from a shopping center. About 5 meters from the shopping center, an old lady was walking down the stairs, missed a step and slam, fell down. Just the sound itself sounded quite painful, and the old lady had fallen there unable to move. I was about to go help her up, walked 2 steps, and then noticed that not a single person around us had moved forward to help, so I stopped too, just like the large crowd around me, watching the old lady take a few minutes to recover before being able to get back up. Beside me was a young girl who had called 120, and then everyone dispersed ——- After coming home and up to now, I’ve kept wondering if I should’ve helped the old woman up, because after all, everyone has an elderly person in their family. However, I really was afraid of being blamed —- With my income, I essentially can’t afford it.
With society the way it is today, I really don’t know if everyone has simply gotten smart or just become cold-blooded [apathetic, indifferent, callous] — Sigh.
PS: Everyone please don’t curse me as being cold-blooded or whatever, I really was afraid and I have to send over half my wages every month back for my mother’s medical care! If you’re going to curse me, I guess I’ll accept it too!

何立言 [网易浙江省杭州市网友]：

A judicial precedent’s effects often extends far beyond the case itself. The Nanjing Peng Yu case [where a man who helped a fallen old woman was blamed for knocking her over, and a Nanjing judge agreed saying “common sense” dictated that only the person responsible would help] has been an irremovable shadow that has lingered deep in people’s hearts, tormenting many people today with whether they should “help or not help” when they see a fallen elderly person, as well as an excuse for some people for not acting when they should. The facts prove that in this society where morals are degenerating by the day, if you want to be a person who helps others and does good, just how much risk must you bear?
Now let us look at this case. If it weren’t for strong witnesses testimony, wouldn’t these three schoolchildren have become a second “Peng Yu”? If these three schoolchildren were to suffer such an injustice, just what kind of effects would it have upon their young spirits and their families? And the extortioner merely getting 7 days of administrative detention but not having it enforced on account of her age, what kind of effects will this too produce?

胡思不乱写 [网易广东省佛山市网友]：

Black Dye jar: China is too old, there is large or small in society, everything has become extremely vile, like a black dye jar, where no matter what new things are added into it, it all becomes pitch-black. Look at all the experts, who are either reminiscing “the past” or “hoping for the future”, but when it comes to the subject of “right now” have all handed in black exam papers, because no one can issue a prescription, and all of the best prescriptions are so-called “hopes for the future”… — Lu Xun

网易江苏省淮安市手机网友 [网易江苏省淮安市手机网友]：

Wasn’t anything good when [she] was young. Don’t believe me? Go investigate.

网易广东省深圳市手机网友 [网易广东省深圳市手机网友]： (responding to above)

The animals of the Cultural Revolution are now old!

网易四川省手机网友 ip：117.136.*.*: (responding to above)

I’m thinking, if (and I’m saying if) it really was the child who ran into her, why would there be people testifying that it was the old lady who fell on her own?! I think those witnesses who testified probably don’t have any grudge with the old lady, so they wouldn’t provide false testimony! So it must be that the old lady fell o her own! Probably it was the old lady who fell but though it must’ve been because someone had run into her, and then convinced herself in her heart that someone else had run into her! Over time and because of her elderly age, she only remembers that it was someone who ran into her! This is just my personal viewpoint, if you don’t like it, don’t spout abuse at me!

网易广东省广州市网友 ip：14.18.*.*:

At this point with that kind of old muddle-headedness, how could she possible admit fault? If she did, who knows how embarrassing it would be for her? So she can only insist to her death that she didn’t [try to scam/frame others]. It can be understood, but not forgiven.

网易广西贵港市手机网友 ip：121.31.*.*:

It’s not that the old have become wicked, it’s the that the wicked have become old.

网易陕西省西安市手机网友(113.140.*.*)：

Were there no surveillance cameras? Nor eye-witnesses? Come forward and speak for justice!

6875313 [网易浙江省杭州市网友]： (responding to above)

Eye-witnesses saw that the old lady fell on her own, and that the little children were far away when they went over to help her up.

网易吉林省通化市网友 [衍通助理]：

When people get old, there are going to be moments of muddle-headedness [confusion], where one keeps thinking they are right. But even if the old woman was muddle-headed, could the family members also be muddle-headed? It’s already very shameful [to be convicted of trying to scam others], how much more shameful do they plan on being? To the point where they’re run out of the city?

网易广东省深圳市手机网友 ip：119.147.*.* 2013-11-24 03:40:23 发表

Even death is not enough for old men and women like this!

苏二果 [网易河南省手机网友]：

If simply swearing/vowing were of any use, what would we need the police for?