Tens of thousands of people rioted in the Weng’an County, Guizhou province in southwest China, over the police handling of a rape-and-murder case of a 16 year old girl.

The girl, whose name has yet to be released, was found dead along the bank of a local river. The death was determined by the local government and police force as accidental drowning, without proper backing of biopsy. It however, is widely speculated by local residents that the death was the result of a crime of rape and murder by two men whose families have connections with local and provincial police bureaus.

The victim’s uncle, a teacher in a local middle school, who questioned the local police’s decision in the central police office of Weng’an County, was reported beaten dead. His students, who are in their early teens, marched on the street and clashed with the police force in front of the local police building (shown in the image). The clash upgraded as the parents and local residents got involved. As a result, the building and more than ten police vehicles were set on fire; many protestors were arrested.

Paramilitary police forces have taken control of the situation, as reported by Xinhua, the official news agency of China. The riot was declared as “violent, unharmonious behavior by people who did not know the truth”. It is our hope that the real truth could be disclosed by those who knew.

At the same time, may the girl rest in peace, no matter how difficult it is.