According to Hongxing Xinwen, the man, surnamed Zhou, died of an acute myocardial infarction (heart attack).
A few hours before his sudden death on 14/7/2024, Zhou had sex with his mistress, surnamed Zhuang, at a hotel in Pingnan County, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, southern China.
Zhou's wife and children sued the hotel and Zhuang for failing to fulfill their duty to rescue him. They initially sought 550,000 CNY in compensation. The court added 70,000 CNY for funeral expenses, totaling 620,000 CNY (over 2.2 billion VND), before issuing its verdict.
Zhou and Zhuang worked together at a factory in 1982. They reconnected at a reunion party in 2023 and began communicating privately. They had previous liaisons in late 2023 and June 2024. On 14/7/2024, Zhou booked a hotel room and called Zhuang to join him around 2:52 p.m.
In her testimony, Zhuang said they had sex before sleeping. When she woke up, she found Zhou had stopped breathing. Believing he was dead, she panicked, unsure of what to do.
Suffering from hypertension, Zhuang went home to take her medication around 5:43 p.m. Returning to the hotel at 6:56 p.m., she couldn't open the door and asked a hotel employee for assistance. Inside, they found Zhou unresponsive. The employee called for an ambulance and the police at 7:15 p.m.
Doctors and police later confirmed Zhou's death, attributing it to his pre-existing hypertension and a previous stroke.
On August 13, the Pingnan County People's Court ruled that Zhou's underlying health conditions were primarily responsible for his death. Zhuang bore only partial responsibility as she was unaware of his health problems. However, the court noted that upon discovering Zhou's condition, Zhuang failed to provide immediate first aid, leaving the room and returning an hour later, missing the optimal time for intervention.
The verdict also stated that Zhuang's affair with Zhou, knowing he was married, violated public order and went against social norms.
The court ordered Zhuang to pay Zhou's family 10% of the 620,000 CNY, which is 62,000 CNY (almost 228 million VND). The hotel was deemed not at fault and not liable for any compensation, as Zhou died in his private room, not in a public area.
Tue Anh
