Message by the Vice-Chancellor in regards to the tragic death of fellow ECU student Jiao Dan

Just in case you haven't check your emails or heard the news...

"Dear Students and Fellow Staff and Council Members,

The ECU Community is deeply saddened and shocked by the tragic death of our student Jiao Dan, near her home in Perth earlier this week.

Jiao Dan was highly regarded by staff of the University and by fellow students. She was a very strong student, achieving Distinctions and was generous and caring, with a great spirit and a wonderful sense of fun and happiness. These qualities which she exhibited in abundance make her death so much harder for us to come to terms with.

ECU staff and students have been working with external groups, particularly the WA Police and the Chinese Consul-General in Perth, to provide support for Jiao Dan’s family and friends as we all struggle to come to terms with this tragic loss. In addition the WA Police are undertaking an extensive investigation into the circumstances of Jiao Dan’s death

We are well advanced in arrangements for Jiao Dan’s family to come to Perth. We have also been communicating with Hunan University’s leadership, Jiao Dan’s originating University, to provide them with as much information as we have available to us here in Perth.

Counselling services are being used by many students and staff at ECU. Students can access these by phoning 9370 6706 and staff via the "Employee Assistance Program", on 1300 361 008. These services are free and available to anyone in the University Community.

This morning a large group of students, mainly international, and mainly from China, met with leaders of ECU, WA Police and counsellors to communicate our great sense of loss because of Jiao Dan’s tragic death and to continue the process of working through the deep grief we feel. WA Police also answered many questions from students as far as they were able, bearing in mind that they do not wish to compromise any evidence that they have at present.

The safety of all of our students, and of our staff, is the utmost priority for the University leadership. If any student or staff member has concerns for their safety, it is important that they make immediate contact with a Security Officer by using one of the security phones located around the campuses or by phoning 6304 3333. A staff member of ECU Security Services will also escort you to your car on campus or to a bus stop on a campus perimeter.

I encourage you all to learn more about personal security and safety by visiting the Security and Traffic Services website http://www.ecu.edu.au/fas/sts/ or by calling the Security Services office on 6304 2722 or 6304 2150.

The principles that we use to guide safety on our campuses also apply off-campus, especially that of not walking alone at night time.

It is my intention during my official visit to China later in October, which has been pre-arranged for some six months, to visit Hunan University to meet with their leadership and their staff and students and to help them come to terms with this tragedy.

I thank the great number of staff and students for the amazing support and leadership that they have shown in the aftermath of this shocking loss. I particularly thank Claire Brown and Ding Min (an ECU alumnus), and Marjorie Tidman and many others for their professionalism, sensitivity, and extraordinary generosity at a difficult time for all of us, including themselves. I also thank the WA Police in whom I have great confidence.

I will make contact again as soon as I am in a position to provide further information.

In the meantime I ask that members of the University Community express their grief and their support by writing in the Condolence Books which we have established to honour the late Jiao Dan. The Condolence Books will be available at Student Central at each Campus from Wednesday 17 October."

Professor Kerry O. Cox
Vice-Chancellor


Homicide investigation Update

Jim Kelly and Nicole Cox
October 12, 2007 04:00pm



POLICE arrested a 35-year-old man at a relative's home in Crocker Way, Innaloo at 12.25pm today.

The man has been taken to the Major Crime squad's headquarters, where he is being questioned over the death of Chinese student Jiao Dan.

In addition to forensic examination of the Crocker Way house, officers are also raiding a property in Loncar Rise, Gwelup, that is believed to be owned by an elderly woman.

"This man is being interviewed in relation to the murder of Jiao Dan in Oswald St, Innaloo earlier this week,'' said Detective Senior Sergeant Paul Boult.

"As a result of footage that we obtained from the Public Transport Authority and analysis of that footage, that has led us to this address,'' he said at a press conference in Crocker Way.

"Video footage has provided us with information in relation to the identity of a person, which led us to this address.''

Det Sen-Sgt Boult refused to say whether the man was known to Miss Jiao.



The breakthrough comes four days after the body of Jiao Dan was found on the grass street verge near the Oswald St home where she lived.

Detective Senior Sergeant Paul Boult has refused to say how Jiao Dan died or whether she was the victim of a sex attack, but he said preliminary pathology results confirmed she was murdered.

The 22-year-old's body was found on the road verge on Tuesday just 50m from where she lived.

Det Snr-Sgt Boult said Ms Dan was seen on rail security video getting off at Stirling Station and would have taken about 10 to 15 minutes to walk to Oswald St.

He said police believe she was murdered soon after getting off the train at the location where her partially naked body was found.

He said it was possible she was followed by her attacker from the station or crossed paths with the person on the way home.

Ms Dan, who was studying at Edith Cowan University, was returning home after finishing part time work for the evening at a Leederville sports and recreation centre.

A passer-by found Ms Dan's body stripped from the waist down on the verge at about 6am on Monday.

A bag, a pair of shoes and neatly folded jeans were found next to her.

Det-Sgt Boult said five men living in the house closest to where the body was discovered were questioned by detectives but police had no reason to believe they were connected to the murder.

Close friend Min Ding said Ms Dan was a very considerate person.

"She's a very clever girl,'' she said.

"She's a Christian, she's just a new baptised Christian from Christmas. She's a very nice person. She's always thinking of others.''

Det-Sgt Boult said the murder was a warning for women against walking alone in poorly lit areas at night.

Source: Perthnow

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