The Anqing, Anhui Wrongful Conviction Case: Where is Judicial Justice?

The Anqing, Anhui Wrongful Conviction Case: Where is Judicial Justice?

We often subconsciously assume that those who risk their lives to protect the people's safety will be treated fairly.

However, the experience of Kang Jiahong, the former deputy director of the Jinxiu Police Station in Hefei, Anhui, is a heavy blow to this assumption. If you are also a grassroots person who works hard and follows orders, you will understand the deep sense of injustice after reading his story.

Kang Jiahong is not an idle leader who sits in an office; he is a grassroots police officer who has been on the front lines of law enforcement. During a pursuit, he suffered multiple comminuted fractures in both legs, leaving him with permanent disabilities. He can no longer stand for long periods or conduct long interrogations. This injury, which was sustained while protecting the people, has become a weakness that can be exploited by others.

The case began with a simple family dispute. A father hired someone to injure his son, and the facts were clear. According to the law, it should have been treated as a ordinary intentional injury case. However, during the "Strike Black" campaign, the local police station wanted to achieve impressive results and arbitrarily changed the nature of the case to a "gang fight involving evil forces". From the moment the case was distorted, it was destined to lead to a wrongful conviction.

According to the rules of the public security system, cases of gang fights are under the jurisdiction of the criminal police brigade, and grassroots police stations do not have the authority to investigate. Everyone knew that this was a sensitive case, and they all tried to avoid it. The leader knew that Kang Jiahong was seriously injured and could not handle high-intensity cases, but still assigned him to the case through an administrative order.

Kang Jiahong, who was diligent and obedient, took on the difficult task despite his injuries. However, he did not have the dominant power in the investigation. Many grassroots people have experienced this helplessness: difficult tasks are often assigned to those who are obedient and do not push back.

The main investigator, Chen Xitu, was in charge of the entire investigation process, including interrogation, evidence collection, and identification. The case files and surveillance videos show that Chen Xitu deliberately induced the suspect to make statements, intervened in the identification process, and used coercive measures, including violence, to extract confessions. All the evidence points to Chen Xitu's wrongdoing. According to the system of lifelong accountability for wrongful cases, the person directly responsible for the wrongdoing should bear the main responsibility.

However, the reality is cruel and disappointing.

A layer of invisible power shield has protected those who should be held accountable from being pursued. The Hefei City Procuratorate's investigators selectively collected evidence, only gathering statements that were unfavorable to Kang Jiahong, while ignoring the surveillance videos, medical reports, and key witnesses that could reveal the truth of the interrogation.

The final result of the accountability was a complete reversal of black and white. Kang Jiahong, who did not participate in the interrogation due to his injuries and only used standard handcuffing measures, was accused of using torture to extract confessions and was sentenced.

Meanwhile, Chen Xitu, who manufactured the wrongful case and committed serious violations of law, was not held accountable and was even promoted. This is a typical case of "promotion despite wrongdoing".

The words "power" and "responsibility" have little weight in the face of personal relationships and background. We ordinary people in the workplace and system are no exception. Those who cause trouble have a backing and are safe, while those who work hard and are honest are held accountable for others' mistakes.

If the unjust conviction has already made people angry, the blatant violation of procedural justice in the trial is even more shocking.

In 2021, during the trial at the Lujiang County Court, Kang Jiahong clearly stated his three points of defense, and the entire trial was recorded. However, when the trial transcript was handed to him, all his defense statements had disappeared, and the written record made it seem like he had pleaded guilty.

The judgment was delivered, and the clerk rushed to the detention center to ask Kang Jiahong to write his defense statement himself, attempting to fabricate a false appearance of him acknowledging the transcript and pleading guilty. This was allegedly arranged by the presiding judge.

This is a clear case of perverting the law and violating procedural justice. Kang Jiahong has submitted his appeal and reported the case to the authorities, but his efforts have been stuck in a cycle of procedural delays.

The materials have been repeatedly returned to the original case-handling unit for review, which is equivalent to letting the person being reported investigate themselves. The path to correcting the injustice is blocked, and the truth has not been revealed.

This case is not just about Kang Jiahong; it is about the countless grassroots people who work hard and are honest. The system has many unwritten rules: when there are achievements, everyone wants to share the credit; when mistakes are made, the honest and hardworking grassroots personnel are always the first to be pushed out as scapegoats.

It is undeniable that leaders have supervisory responsibilities, but this responsibility cannot be directly equated with the criminal responsibility of frontline personnel.

The superior authorities distorted the facts of the case to achieve their assessment goals, and the frontline investigators violated the law with impunity due to their personal background. In the end, all the consequences were borne by Kang Jiahong, a grassroots police officer who was injured and had no power or background.

If this continues, the grassroots teams will only become more discouraged. If you are in the grassroots, you will feel this chill: being diligent and responsible will only lead to trouble, while those who are slack and know how to curry favor will be promoted.

Who will be willing to take on difficult and high-risk cases in the future? Who will be willing to execute the orders of their superiors without question? Those who risk their lives to protect the people and are injured will be wronged and imprisoned, while those who are slack and have a backing will be promoted. The grassroots law enforcement teams will slowly lose their willingness to take on responsibilities and dare to take action.

Judicial fairness should not distinguish between identities or backgrounds. This fairness must protect not only the rights of ordinary people but also the rights of every law enforcement officer who has risked their lives.

Kang Jiahong has been a police officer for most of his life, and he has been injured while capturing suspects. He has always followed the rules and obeyed orders without any personal motives. However, the distorted assessment, the arbitrary exercise of power, and the tampering with the trial process have made him a victim of a wrongful conviction.

After being injured, he has to endure endless hardships and mental suffering. Now, he has submitted an appeal and a request for retrial, hoping to clear his name and expose the problems in the grassroots law enforcement system.

He hopes that the supervisory authorities will investigate the case thoroughly, collect all the evidence, and conduct an independent review. He also hopes that the wrong verdict will be overturned and that those responsible for the wrongful conviction will be held accountable.

At the same time, he hopes that the procuratorate and the court will be investigated for their wrongdoing, including the tampering with the trial transcript and the selective handling of cases, and that they will be held accountable according to the law.

Today, it is a police officer who is wronged; tomorrow, it could be any ordinary person who works hard and is honest. Justice and fairness are closely related to each of us.

The more people who see this injustice, the more power there will be to reveal the truth. We hope that the light of the law will shine equally on everyone, regardless of their position or background. Every ordinary person who works hard and is honest should not be made a scapegoat.

This article only objectively sorts out the facts of the case and the evidence, and records the appellant's appeal. All the content comes from publicly available materials, including the effective judgment.

Original Article Information

Original Title: The Anqing, Anhui Kang Jiahong Case: The Police Badge Bears Scars, and the Heart is Filled with Cold: A Disabled Grassroots Police Officer Became the Only Sacrifice in a Wrongful Conviction

Source: WeChat public account "Law and Practice Along the Way"