CRI听力:Outrage over Detention of Good Samaritan

Many thousands of Chinese netizens have expressed anger over the detention of a man in the southern city of Dongguan, after he helped a stranger recover lost property.

People are worried this may discourage potential good Samaritans from getting involved.

CRI's Qi Zhi has the details. 

51-year-old Zhang Yuanyi works at a local electronics plant. On the morning of September 3, he found a bag containing some bottles of welding fluid in a roadside flower bed near a park.

"Inside, there was an order list with the buyer's name and address. Each bottle sells for 380 yuan, so the seven bottles cost nearly 2,700 yuan in total. At that time, I just thought if I sat back, the owner would never get them."

Without a cellphone at hand, Zhang took the fluids to his office nearby and then, called the owner – Mr. Wu.

After the call, Wu went downstairs and found his car's right rear window smashed and the trunk had been broken into. The bag and some cash were missing.

So he called police right away.

"I called the police without hesitation. They told me they were investigating a large gang suspected of having committed a series of car break-in and thefts. They said they would follow every clue and asked me to go with them to meet the caller."

During a later call, Wu confirmed the loss of his belongings to Zhang, but Zhang still told Wu his number and address.

At about 11:00am, when Zhang was handing over the bag to its owner Mr. Wu, policemen showed up, handcuffing and pushing Zhang into a police car.

Zhang was released at 1:00pm after his colleagues gave him an alibi.

Wu has apologized. Zhang says he will file complaints to higher authorities, looking for an apology from local police.

The officers at Shatou Police Station in the southern city of Dongduan who handled the case say they did nothing wrong, saying they controlled Zhang because he refused to cooperate and tried to leave before making everything clear.

Mai Wenguang with the Police Station also offers a piece of advice.

"If you find unclaimed property on the street, it's better to turn it over to the police so officers can look for the owner. This can help you avoid unnecessary troubles."

Zhang Yuanyi promises that even though he was misunderstood this time, in the future, he would still help a person in need.

The case has raised wide public concern over a substantial societal issue in China.

There have been many incidents in which the person who comes to the aid of an accident victim ends up being accused of an offense.

This has led to bystander apathy, as many fear they will be taken advantage of if they lend a helping hand.

For CRI, I'm Qi Zhi.