‘Poisoner’ China woman accused of tainting drink of pregnant colleague to avert extra work maternity leave would bring is probed by police
- Expectant mother notices drink tastes odd, sets up camera on desk
- Captures colleague pouring powder-like substance into water, calls police
A worker at a government affiliated institution who allegedly poisoned her pregnant colleague to prevent her from taking maternity leave, has sparked outrage on mainland social media.
The incident became public via a video circulating online, which captured the employee from the central Hubei province apparently attempting to add a substance to her co-worker’s drink, according to Cover News.
Her employer, the Hydrology and Water Resources Investigation Bureau in Enshi Tujia and Miao autonomous prefecture, Hubei province, is a public institution affiliated with the government.
Such institutions are known for their highly selective recruitment process which requires rigorous exams and interviews, and are often referred to as “iron rice bowls” for their job security and stability.
In the video, a woman wearing a black vest is seen approaching her colleague’s desk, opening a small bottle and pouring a powder-like substance into the drink on the desk before leaving quickly.
According to screenshots of WeChat conversations, the situation came to light when the victim noticed her drink of water tasted strange.
Initially suspecting the office’s water supply, she switched to boiled bottled water but noticed the strange taste persisted.
Reminded of a friend’s joke that suggested someone might have tampered with her drink, she decided to use her iPad to video her desk and anybody who approached it, capturing her colleague in the act.
Bizarrely, the colleague’s reason for poisoning the pregnant woman was that she did it because she did not want her to take maternity leave as she could not manage the increased workload alone.
The victim reported the incident to the police and the authorities are investigating.
On March 18, staff from the Hydrology and Water Resources Investigation Bureau said they were treating the incident with utmost seriousness and are waiting for the results of the police investigation before taking action.
A lawyer told National Business Daily that if the woman’s actions were driven by an intent to harm, it could constitute a crime of injury, regardless of whether the substance was toxic or caused actual physical harm.
The incident has drawn widespread condemnation on mainland social media.
“Poisoning someone just because you do not want them to take leave? Has she been watching too many police dramas?” one person asked.
“We’re all here just trying to earn our bread, why be so malicious? She is too dark,” said another.
“How did such a person even get through the exams to work at a government-linked institution? It seems exams can only weed out academically poor candidates, not the morally corrupt,” a third person said.
“We should not only get fingerprint-locking thermoses for kids but for adults as well,” another online observer suggested.
