Chinese couple's parents in plea for murder witnesses
Sep 19 2008 by Paul James, The Journal
PARENTS of the Chinese couple murdered in Newcastle wept as they told how their only children’s deaths had “broken their hearts”.
Speaking publicly for the first time since their children were found dead nearly six weeks ago, they pleaded for witnesses to come forward, as police revealed they were “no closer” to tracing key suspects.
The families of Xi Zhou, known as Ci Ci, and her boyfriend Zhen Xing Yang, known as Kevin, arrived in the North East this week and yesterday attended their cremation at a ceremony in Sunderland.
At a press conference, Miss Zhou’s father Sanbao Zhou, 58, a local government official from Hunan province in the south of China, bowed as he gave thanks for the concern which had been shown to his murdered daughter.
His voice shaking with emotion, he described how the family had spent all their savings to help his daughter’s “dream” of coming to England to study.
Mr Zhou said: “When we were informed of the death of our daughter we almost lost the will to live. However we cannot do that as the murderer of our daughter is still at large.
“I am determined to catch the murderer. I have no doubt the murderer will be arrested and my daughter will have the justice she deserves.”
Mr Yang’s mother, Shu Zhen Qu, a hairdresser from Dalian City in the north east of China, dabbed her eyes with a handkerchief as she told how finding the killers would give reassurance to all foreign parents with children in the UK.
She said: “We felt as if our hearts had been broken when we lost him in this terrible way. He and Ci Ci were both only children.
“Our happiness, fortune and hopes are all gone with the loss of these two lovely children.”
Det Supt Steve Wade sat alongside the couple as they read out their statements through interpreters at Byker Police Station.
He revealed for the first time that property was missing from the flat, along with cash, and said the most likely motive for the murder was robbery.
Det Supt Wade said fellow officers were investigating other cases across the country where Chinese youngsters have been robbed, sometimes violently, after advertising rooms for rent.
He said the Chinese community may have been put off talking to police by links to internet gambling and fake qualifications.
But he said: “The simple fact of the matter is they weren’t earning lots of money out of this and they have been barbarically murdered in that property.”
Det Supt Wade said that despite making an appeal on the BBC’s Crimewatch last week, he was no closer to identifying the mystery lodger who signed up to rent the couple’s back bedroom at the beginning of August.
And officers are still trying to trace the three people seen outside the flat at about 5pm on Thursday, August 7.
Anyone with information about the murders or the two victims can contact police on 0345 604-3043, Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111, Northumbria Police’s Mandarin and Cantonese message service, on (0191) 221-8200 or send an email in their chosen language to northumbriapolice@ymail.com
