Men steal influencer's ashes in order to sell them for 'ghost marriage'
This is not your average ghost story.
Disclaimer: This article contains content that some may find triggering.
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According to the Global Times, a Chinese newspaper had spoken to the family of a diseased influencer who passed away on the 15th of October after she drank a pesticide on a live stream and emergency medical failed to save her.
The woman, whose name has not been verified, went by the screen name "Luoxiaomaomaozi" on the Chinese version of TikTok - Douyin.
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🚨🇨🇳#中国: Chinese Influencer #Luoxiaomaomaozi Dies After Drinking Pesticide During Livestream After almost 1 Million Chinese Viewers "Encouraged" Her Suicide.
— Terror Alarm (@terror_alarm) October 19, 2021
via Global Times pic.twitter.com/pSI2AzmUvu
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After her tragic death, it was reported that a funeral home worker had taken the creator's ashes after she was cremated. With the help of two other funeral staff members, the worker then tried to sell the ashes and they would have been able to fetch a price of between 50,000 and 70,000 Chinese yuan (R124,221 - R173,942) if they had not been caught.
The sellers had intended to hand over the ashes to a buyer who was hoping to perform a "ghost marriage".
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A "ghost marriage" is a Chinese tradition that dates back 3,000 years and takes place when families try to find partners for their dead children. This is believed to help the children feel less lonely in the afterlife and their spirit will be able to rest easy. ABC News reports that even though the practice has been illegal for decades, there has been a recent resurgence with "ghost matchmakers" appearing to establish a new market.
Luckily in this incident, the sale did not happen and the three suspects have been detained by police.
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This case has also sparked a bigger conversation surrounding abuse towards women and the practice of "ghost marriages" on social media with even a major social media platform in China called Weibo removing popular hashtags associated with this specific influencer's ghost marriage controversy.
Hopefully her parents can also now have more peace of mind knowing that their daughter has returned to them.
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Main image courtesy of iStock/Wachiwit