Waitress, beaten in 3-hour ordeal at police station, suffered massive bruising all over her body.

Though the two police officers involved in the violence have been detained, the victim has not so far received any official apology or compensation.

The girl, named Ji Haiyun, worked as a waitress at Suyun Hotel in Guanyun County, Lianyungang City, away from her hometown in Northeast China's Heilongjiang Province.

On the morning of August 20, only four days after her arrival, seven policemen, without presenting any credentials or warrants, arrested Ji and three other girls. The four women were suspected by the police of being prostitutes working in the hotel, but without any proof.

Ji recalled that she was taken to a single room, where a policeman took her belongings including her ID card, gold ring, watch and 2,000 yuan (US$242) in cash. Then the policeman tried to force her to confess to working as a prostitute at the hotel, which Ji denied unflinchingly.

Angered by Ji's resistance, another policeman brought in a broken chair armrest and ordered her to take off her shoes. The police beat her on the legs, feet and buttocks while continuing to curse and shout at her.

She shouted for help but no one showed any mercy. As she recalled, there was a police official outside, whom they called Director Liao, and it was Liao who ordered the police to keep on beating her.

They even kicked her stomach and genitals until a heavy blow from a rubber baton put Ji into a coma.

Several hours later, she was still unconscious, so the police sent her to hospital.

"I have never seen such a terrible situation before," said Zheng Shichun, the doctor who treated Ji at the Guanyun Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital.

Zheng said her condition was quite dangerous, with massive bruising all over her body, a high temperature and an abnormal level of blood sugar. But the police left her alone in the ward and no one came to see her.

"I will definitely fight with them this time. If the police cannot give me justice, I won't leave Guanyun County!" said 55-year-old Ji Yingfu, Ji's father.

It has been confirmed that Ji was employed as a waitress at the hotel.

Liao, vice-director of the Police Station of Guanyun County, has refused to state whether or not he was present when Ji was interrogated and tormented.

The head of the Police Station said the events had been reported to higher authorities and the People's Procuratorate of the city was looking into the case.

(Shanghai Star October 7, 2002)