1996 - Zhang Xiuju

May 26, 1996

Xihua, Henan

House church Christians in China are regularly beaten and kicked when the police break up meetings. Often electric cattle prods are used to stun believers with high volts of electricity. While they are being detained, Christians are often tortured in the vilest manner. Females are regularly sexually abused and sometimes even gang-raped by these monsters, who see the degrading of Christians as their right as policemen. The believers invariably do not fight back, as they realize lodging a complaint with another government office is an exercise in futility. As one woman expressed, “There is no point complaining to one wicked authority about another. Nothing will happen. All crows are black.” Instead, the Christians retain a calm peace and consistent witness that infuriates their captors even more. The black hearts of many officials cause them to react violently against the shining good deeds of the Christians, whose light cannot be snuffed out.

A 36-year-old Christian woman, Zhang Xiuju, was dragged out of her home in the middle of the night on May 25, 1996, by Public Security Bureau officers in Xihua County, Henan Province. After continually beating her throughout the night, Zhang died the next day. On the 27th the authorities returned her body to her parents’ home and gave them 5,000 Yuan (about US$ 600) compensation in a bid to keep the family quiet.[1]

The Public Security office in Zhang’s hometown disputed this report, saying she died while jumping out of a car while in police custody. However, when asked why authorities had detained her, the official abruptly hung up the telephone and did not answer subsequent calls. Local Christians dismissed the claims that Zhang died while attempting an escape, pointing out that the scars and rope marks around her wrists were consistent with torture techniques commonly employed by the authorities when they detain house church believers.