Chinese Court Orders 3 Women To Pay Compensation After Friend's Death

Three women in China have been ordered to pay compensation after their friend died of alcohol poisoning at a dinner gathering with them. According to the South China Morning Post (SCMP), the three Chinese women have been ordered to pay tens of thousands of yuan after the court in Nanchang reached the verdict concluding that the trio failed to carry out their "reasonable obligation" to stop their friend from drinking excessively and for not trying to save her life. Notably, the woman died after she consumed half a litre of strong alcohol at the dinner party with her three friends. 

According to the outlet, the incident took place in May earlier this year. The woman, identified by the nickname Xiaoqiu, went to her friend Wang Qi's home for a dinner party, and they were joined by two other friends Xu and Chen. The purpose of the gathering was for the women to support Ms Xiaoqiu who was upset after her boyfriend broke up with her.

During the party, Ms Xiaoqiu consumed a total of half a litre of Chinese baijiu liquor, known for its high alcohol content. Ms Wang, on the other hand, drank 0.25 litre. The other two women did not drink any.

SCMP reported that Ms Xiaoqiu, accompanied by Ms Xu, went to her car to rest after dinner. However, Ms Xu fell asleep and when she woke at about 5 am the next day, she realised her friend was not breathing.

Ms Xi immediately called an ambulance but doctors announced Ms Xiaoqiu's death an hour later. They said she had died of cardiorespiratory arrest caused by alcohol poisoning.

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In the following weeks, Ms Xiaoqiu's parents took the three women to court in June as they believed they were responsible for their daughter's death. The court agreed and decided they should pay compensation based on different levels of fault.

The court reportedly ordered Ms Wang to pay 60,000 yuan ($8,500) because she did not attempt to stop her friend from drinking too much alcohol, then failed to help her when the effects became obvious. The court also said that the other two women who drank no alcohol both had an obligation to ensure Ms Xiaoqiu got to the hospital after she had vomited and was unable to take care of herself. They were told to pay 20,000 yuan each.

Notably, alcohol poisoning is serious and sometimes deadly. It is the result of drinking large amounts over a short period of time. Drinking too much too quickly can affect breathing, heart rate, body temperature, and gag reflex. In some cases, this can lead to coma and death.