An 18-year-old woman from Yunnan, China, who had just graduated from high school and rented a room in a nearby county town, took her own life last year after discovering her boyfriend was married with a child. A court has now ruled the man partly liable for her death and ordered him to pay 10% of the damages.
According to Chinese media, the teenager met the man soon after finishing school in 2023 and quickly entered into a romantic relationship with him. On 13 September 2024, she learned he had concealed his marriage. Devastated, she spent the afternoon drinking with friends and repeatedly walked to the middle of a suspension bridge crying, while messaging the man with phrases such as “never see you again” and “forever,” signalling suicidal thoughts. Rather than comfort her, he reportedly sent provocative replies.
At about 8:27 p.m., she sent him another message, transferred 500 yuan to a friend with the note “see you again if fate allows,” and then jumped from the bridge into the river. Friends raised the alarm immediately, and two male companions jumped in to try to rescue her but failed. Police and firefighters launched a search, recovering her body two days later.
On 2 April 2025, the Jinggu County People’s Court issued its first-instance verdict. It held that as an adult with full civil capacity, the young woman bore primary responsibility for her own safety and that her decision was the direct cause of her death.
However, the court said the man had violated public morals by hiding his marriage and pursuing a relationship with her, causing serious emotional harm. When she clearly expressed suicidal intent, he did not try to dissuade her and instead used hurtful words, aggravating her distress. The court ordered him to bear 10% of the damages, totalling 92,771.4 yuan (about NT$394,266).
The court also ruled that the five friends who drank with her had a duty of reasonable care for her safety. Although they later tried to save her, they failed to take effective preventive measures after she voiced suicidal thoughts. Each was ordered to pay 1% of the damages — 9,277.14 yuan (about NT$39,426).
