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Phoebe Zhang

A teenager who went missing from his school dormitory in eastern China in October took his own life, police said on Thursday, after the 15-year-old’s disappearance attracted intense national attention.
Hu Xinyu was last seen on a surveillance camera walking down a hallway from his dormitory to a classroom in Shangrao, Jiangxi province, for an evening study session on October 14.
Despite several searches by police and members of the public, his whereabouts remained unknown until last month when a body found in a woodland near the school was identified as that of the missing teen.
Hu Mansong, deputy director of the Jiangxi Public Security Bureau, said Xinyu’s body was found inside a grain storage building.
The body did not have any bone fractures and there were no signs of ingestion of sedatives or poison.
Hu said the investigation – including analysis of a notebook and conversations with Xinyu’s family – pointed to the case being a suicide.
“Beginning in September, when he started attending Zhiyuan Middle School, he was upset by bad grades and pressured by social relations and other aspects of puberty,” Hu said.
“He had experienced difficulty sleeping, could not focus and had memory difficulties. He also felt guilty, pained, helpless and had an eating disorder.”
Hu also said a digital recorder, which Xinyu had used for school, was found near the body.
Police recovered the files on the device and confirmed it was used by Xinyu. The voice on the device matched the boy’s and the content was not edited or made by others.
Two recordings in October indicated that the boy wanted to harm himself, the police said.
To prevent suicides, we must all become beacons of light for those in pain
Authorities also addressed public concerns about how it took so long to find the body when the area was near the school and should have been covered in previous searches.
Police said the woodland covered a large area and previous search teams had not done a thorough job. The bureau would improve searches, officers said.
Police also said people spreading rumours online about the case had been punished, the school was offering counselling for students, and there would be training sessions for teachers and families to identify warning signs of mental distress in students.
Xinyu’s disappearance raised nationwide concerns, with some questioning the credibility and competence of police.
Police said in early January that the boy left the campus on his own and there was no sign of foul play.
His family pleaded on social media and questioned why he was not seen in any other cameras.
Teen suicide and psychological issues in general are not widely discussed topics in China but some media outlets have started to focus attention on whether there is a tendency to dismiss such problems as merely “puberty” or “unhappiness”.
If you have suicidal thoughts or know someone who is experiencing them, help is available. In Hong Kong, dial +852 2896 0000 for The Samaritans or +852 2382 0000 for Suicide Prevention Services. In the US, call the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 or +1 800 273 8255. For a list of other nations’ helplines, see this page.


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Analysis of the boy’s body, notes and digital recordings indicate suicide, senior officer says
Police promise to improve searches amid public concerns about delays in finding the boy


Police promise to improve searches amid public concerns about delays in finding the boy.


Chinese police conclude missing teen Hu Xinyu took his own life

.css-1mniedq{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;}Analysis of the boy’s body, notes and digital recordings indicate suicide, senior officer says Police promise to improve searches amid public concerns about delays in finding the boy

Analysis of the boy’s body, notes and digital recordings indicate suicide, senior officer says

Police promise to improve searches amid public concerns about delays in finding the boy