China
13:11, 16-Oct-2017
Heroes who save drowning girl also steal money from car
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Three good Samaritans who saved a drowning girl in a river in Hangzhou, east China’s Zhejiang Province, recently turned out to be thieves in reverse.
A drunk girl left a bar in the wee hours on August 8 with two of her friends. Groggy and unwitting, the girl slipped and fell into the river. Once her friends realized she was missing they starting yelling and asking for help.
The drunken girl with her friend. /Screenshot
The drunken girl with her friend. /Screenshot
Coincidentally, the three men were just around the corner and rescued her without hesitation. Police then brought them in for questioning and praised the young men.
The men were saving the drowning girl. /Photo via Hangzhou Daily
The men were saving the drowning girl. /Photo via Hangzhou Daily
Two days later, however, police discovered that three suspects accused of stealing 3,000 yuan (around 455 US dollars) from an unlocked car near where the girl was drowning looked just like to the three men who saved her life.
The three thieves stole the cash and discarded the purse in the car. /Photo via Hangzhou Daily
The three thieves stole the cash and discarded the purse in the car. /Photo via Hangzhou Daily
The three thieves were identified by police from the CCTV footages. /Photo via Hangzhou Daily
The three thieves were identified by police from the CCTV footages. /Photo via Hangzhou Daily
The three were detained by police on August 10, but their story has stirred up an online discussion over the weekend of whether the Samaritans’ behavior could become remedy of larceny.
"Their merits and faults offset each other, we should encourage people to save others’ lives instead of being indifferent," a user with the name @xiaoyujiadeJoy said on China’s microblogging platform Weibo.
Yet, the top comment on Weibo, garnering 1,763 likes, was against the view. A user with the name @-linqianye said: "Good deeds cannot offset faults."
Police officers are questioning a suspect. /Photo via Hangzhou Daily
Police officers are questioning a suspect. /Photo via Hangzhou Daily
During the investigation, the police found the three suspects had been involved in four thief cases. When asking why they saved the girl, they said they did not think twice before rescuing her instinctively.
A local justice and courage foundation told Hangzhou Daily that if the three people’s good deeds are officially recognized, the foundation will commend them.