Top forensic scientist Wang Xuemei resigns over standards of evidence presented to trials

A leading forensic scientist who criticised findings of the investigation into the death of Briton Neil Heywood has resigned after making similar remarks over evidence presented in the case of a 20-year-old student who died on the Beijing Metro three years ago.

Wang Xuemei, 57, resigned from the Chinese Forensic Medicine Association, of which she was vice-president, on Saturday, just as a trial over the Metro death was about to start.

In a video posted online, she said she felt "disappointed" with the professional conduct of the mainland's forensic medical community but felt obliged to step down as she "could not change the current situation".

In 2010, Ma Yue, a 20-year-old university student, fell to his death from the platform of Beijing's Gulou Dajie subway station. Ma's mother, Meng Zhaohong, was unhappy with the inquest's findings that her son had "died of abrupt termination of breath and heartbeat from a high-pressure electric shock", without providing additional information.

She is suing the Xicheng district government for an undisclosed amount for its misconduct in the inquest. The hearing opens today.

Wang, a forensic scientist with the Supreme People's Procuratorate, said the forensic conclusion given by the association in Ma's case was "ridiculous and irresponsible".