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12/22/2024 09:45:16 pm

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Girl Burned by Admirer Faints After the Court's Low Compensation on the Suspect

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(Photo : Sina Weibo) Crime of passion? Tao poured kerosene on Zhou's face and set it on fire, damaging 30 percent of her body. She suffered from second and third degree burns, and her face was deformed.

Zhou Yan, the girl whose face was set on fire by an admirer she turned down, fainted in front of a courthouse after learning that the monetary penalty to her attacker Tao Rukun was only increased marginally. 

The young Tao was convicted in 2012 and was given 12 years of jailtime. In 2015, the court granted Zhou's family ¥1.72 million ($264,000), a very small amount compared to their original request of ¥4.67 million ($716,000). 

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The 2015 ruling received the public's ire as the compensation did not add up to Zhou's lifetime of suffering. 

Both families appealed the verdict, with the Taos saying that the fine was too high. 

Finally, on Tuesday, the court increased the compensation to ¥1.8 million, a measly ¥80,000 ($12,300) hike. 

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Five years ago, 17-year-old Tao Rukun went to Zhou's house in Hefei, Anhui province, to seek revenge. Zhou turned his advanced down multiple times.

Tao poured kerosene on Zhou's face and set it on fire, damaging 30 percent of her body. She suffered from second and third degree burns, and her face was deformed. 

Tao's father, Tao Wen, is a government official at Hefei. He posted a letter of apology on Sina Weibo where he said he was sorry for the "irreparable hurt" they caused to Zhou and her family. The older Tao added that he will help Zhou's family with the medical fees. At the time of posting, his son was already in jail and awaiting the court's judgment. 

However, Zhou's mother, Li Cong, said in an online letter that Tao's parents were pressuring them to sign the papers to secure the suspect's bail. The older Tao also did not keep his promise to pay for Zhou's medical bills. 

Tao's father claimed that he already paid ¥338,600 ($52,000) for Zhou's hospital bills and a ¥10,000 ($1,500) advance for the family as Li has quit her job at Unilever to take care of her daughter and is only surviving on her husband's ¥1,500 ($230) monthly salary. Li has denied these claims. 

Li also refuted Tao's statements saying that she asked for ¥10 million ($1.5 million) and a ¥2.8 million ($430,000) apartment. 

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