SINGAPORE – Zhang Zekai,13, was found dead in the wee hours of the morning on Sunday in Geylang, after being reported missing for 3 weeks. According to The New Paper, Zekai was accused of stealing a wallet belonging to one of the two 16 year-old boys. He was punched and kicked several times and hit his head when he lost his balance and fell at the alley behind the cafe. The trio went there to settle the dispute after the initial confrontation.
The incident happened at an Internet cafe where Zekai was playing computer games. He had not known the duo prior to the confrontation. Both the boys and one of the staff from the Internet cafe alerted the police. Zekai lay motionless, with his face face-up from the ground. No visible injuries were found on him, and paramedics pronounced him dead at the scene.
Zekai was on a student visa and studying Secondary 1 in St Patrick’s School. He has not attended classes since he went missing since 12 August. A police report was lodged on 15 August, and an appeal of information on his whereabouts were sent out by the police. He was last seen wearing a green t-shirt, brown bermudas and a pair of blue-framed glasses. Zekai’s height of 1.8m was tall at the age of 13.
It was not his first time running away from home. There were 2 occasions that Zekai was found playing computer games at an Internet cafe.
The police spokesman said they received a call at 3.17am on Sunday, about a fight taking place in the back lane between Geylang Lorong 29 and Lorong 31. Victim was pronounced dead at 3.48am. The case is under on-going investigations and has been classified as an unnatural death.
Two suspects were taken to the scene where Zekai was found. Each of them were wearing wrist and ankle restraints and spent 10 mins separately with the police. No bloodstains were found and the area was cordoned off for investigations. They have since been released on police bail.
A person by the name of Sam, first created a blog on 28 August, to appeal for information about Zekai. It was updated with news of his death.
His principal, Mr Lak Pati Singh, declined commenting as the full details of the incident are not yet released. Mr Lak expressed condolences for Zekai. His parents were not home and declined to be interviewed after identifying their son’s body at the mortuary. Neighbours interviewed said that the family moved in about 2 years ago, and kept to themselves mostly, apart from exchanging greetings. Zekai was described by neighbours to be tall, skinny, friendly yet quiet and sports short hair.
Zekai’s parents identified their son’s body and left without speaking to the media, and were not at their flat when The New Paper team visited them.
Another similar case happened about 8 years ago in 2003, where Wong Dao Jing, 18, was kicked and punched by 5 men, over accusations of a missing item from the stolen haversack. Dao Jing died a few hours later in the hospital. His mother, Madam S. F. Lee, 45 then put up a reward of $10,000 appealing for information. A suicide verdict was recorded when she was found dead in her Ang Mo Kio flat in 2007. One of the 5 men were killed in Johor Baru in January 2007. The other 2 are serving jail sentences. The remaining 2 attackers are still at large.
Could this unfortunate incident have been avoided? How would you reach out to your child if he/she is facing problems or is in need of help?
