Dead Chinese girl's adoptive parents accused of selling her for thousands as 'ghost bride'
The girl allegedly committed suicide after emotional abuse from her adoptive parents. Her birth parents are now urging police to "punish" them.
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A 16-year-old girl has allegedly been sold as a "ghost bride" by her adoptive parents in China.
The teenager, Xiaodan, committed suicide last December in the eastern Shandong province.
The case sheds light on an ancient custom that has taken a dark turn in recent times.
According to reporting from the South China Morning Post, Xiaodan's biological father has accused her adoptive parents of subjecting her to long-term emotional abuse, leading to the decision to take her own life by jumping from her ninth-floor home.
He and his wife had put Xiaodan up for adoption in 2006 due to financial constraints, visiting her occasionally under the guise of being relatives of the adoptive family.
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According to the dad, after Xiaodan's death, her adoptive parents reportedly arranged a 'ghost wedding' between her and a deceased young man named Zhang.
He claims the adoptive parents received a bride price of approximately US$9,300 from Zhang's parents as part of this ritual.
However, police have reportedly found no concrete evidence of criminal activity.
Ghost weddings, an ancient custom with a history spanning over 3,000 years, were initially performed to ensure that the unmarried deceased do not face loneliness in the afterlife.
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Traditionally, these ceremonies involved two deceased individuals, but recent cases have seen the involvement of living individuals marrying corpses.
The elaborate ceremony includes a bride price, dowry, and rituals facilitated by feng shui masters to match the backgrounds and ages of the deceased individuals.
The climax of the ceremony involves placing the bones of the bride inside the groom's grave.
Grieving and outraged, the dad has called on the police to take action against the adoptive parents for alleged domestic violence and the desecration of corpses.
This incident sheds light on the darker aspects of a traditional custom that has evolved into clandestine rituals involving living individuals and grave robbery.
The case raises concerns in Chinese society about the need for stricter regulations and increased awareness to prevent the exploitation and abuse associated with these ancient practices.
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