Deep Flaws, and Little Justice, in China's Court System - New York Times

Deep Flaws, and Little Justice, in China's Court System - New York Times: "September 21, 2005

ANYANG, China - For three days and three nights, the police wrenched Qin Yanhong's arms high above his back, jammed his knees into a sharp metal frame, and kicked his gut whenever he fell asleep. The pain was so intense that he watched sweat pour off his face and form puddles on the floor.

Qin Yanhong confessed to a murder under coerced police interrogation in 1998 and was sentenced to death. He was freed in 2002.

Mr. Qin's case was heard by a three-judge panel in a closed trial in Anyang, where a banner over the reception door of the county public safety bureau reads, 'Everyone will be received by the director, and every case will be dealt with according to the law.'

On the fourth day, he broke down. 'What color were her pants?' they demanded. 'Black,' he gasped, and felt a whack on the back of his head. 'Red,' he cried, and got another punch. 'Blue,' he ventured. The beating stopped.

This is how Mr. Qin, a 35-year-old steel mill worker in Henan Province in central China, recalled groping in the darkness of a interrogation room to deduce the 'correct' details of a rape and murder, end his torture and give the police the confession they required to close a nettlesome case.

On the strength of his coerced confession alone, prosecutors indicted Mr. Qin. A panel of judges then convicted him and sentenced him to death. He is alive today only because of a rare twist of fate that proved his innocence and forced the authorities to let him go, t"