| Zhang Hong Jie | |
| Other Names: | Steffi Zhang |
| Birth Place: | Shanghai |
| Death Date: | (aged 24) |
| Death Place: | Belconnen, Australia |
| Death Cause: | murder |
| Body Discovered: | January 2005 |
| Nationality: | Chinese |
Zhang Hong Jie (1979–2004), also known as Steffi Zhang was a 24-year-old International student, studying communications at the University of Canberra in Australia. Her body was found in January 2005 in her Belconnen flat following her murder in June 2004. The circumstances of her death and length of time before her body was discovered made national headlines, sparking debate over the duty of care Australian universities provide to foreign students.[1]
Following an argument between the couple on 10 June 2004, Steffi was strangled by her ex-boyfriend Zhang Long, using a computer cable wrapped twice around her neck and tied at the front.[2] Long rolled her body, which he doused with insecticide and perfume in blankets,[3] before returning home to Dalian in China. In Dalian, Long checked into hotels during the Australian academic term so his parents would believe he was still away studying. He posed as Steffi online sending emails to her friends and family to avoid suspicion that she was missing. The body was not discovered until 12 January 2005, after neighbours alerted police to a smell coming from Zhang's flat. Identification of the decomposed remains took six weeks, with ACT Police working with counterparts in China to locate family members and match DNA samples.[4]
Despite initial reluctance to publicly name him, police quickly identified Zhang Long as their only suspect for the murder.[5] On 27 February 2005 a warrant was issued in the ACT Magistrates court for Long's arrest.[6]
With the encouragement of his father, Long surrendered to authorities in China in March, claiming that Steffi's death was accidental. He claimed that during an argument on 9 June 2004, Zhang Hong Jie had struck him on the head with a hammer. In retaliation, he struck her twice with the same hammer and then they grabbed at each other's throats, until she stopped moving. He then claimed he wrapped a computer cable around her neck to drag her body onto a mattress and covered her with a quilt. The coroner would later find that Steffi died of strangulation caused by the cable.
In April 2005, Chief Minister of the Australian Capital Territory Jon Stanhope sought Long's extradition to face charges over the murder. TheFederal Government declined to make a formal request to China in the absence of any standing arrangements between the two countries.[7] Long would remain in custody without being charged for several years.
As of November 2005, Long remained in custody in China but had still not been charged with her murder. Under Chinese law, this would be possible despite the crime occurring overseas. However the ACT Government led by Jon Stanhope expressed reluctance to co-operate with Chinese authorities without a guarantee that any conviction relying on evidence provided by ACT police would not result in the death penalty.[8] [9]
The Federal Government of Australia pressured the Australian Capital Territory to cooperate with the Chinese investigation into the murder, as written by a letter from John Howard to Chief Minister Stanhope in May 2005, and another request from Justice Minister Chris Ellison in June. The ACT government does not want to because it may mean Zhang would face a firing squad in China if convicted.[10] The ACT Liberal opposition wanted the Chief Minister to use his Chinese contacts to bring Zhang to 'justice'.[11]
After the killing, the University of Canberra introduced changes to their policy for international students and management.