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The University of Utah and the parents of Zhifan Dong, a 19-year-old international student from China who was murdered by her ex-boyfriend after she made multiple domestic violence reports, have agreed to a $5 million settlement.The university published a statement on its website on Tuesday announcing the settlement.The settlement includes a $5 million (34,772,500 yuan) payment to the family and an agreement between the university and the family to establish a memorial on campus in Dong’s memory. The settlement will not include any state appropriations or funds from student tuition.The University of Utah President Taylor Randall said the settlement "demonstrates our seriousness in honoring Zhifan Dong."Her murder is a reminder that intimate partner violence is a societal problem that transcends borders and cultures, and manifests in many ways. No one should have to endure the loss of a child to violence and our university will remain diligent, continue to improve, and advance the health and well-being of our students.
Dong was found dead in an off-campus motel by Salt Lake City police responding to reports that a man was threatening to kill his girlfriend.Her body was discovered next to her ex-boyfriend, 26-year-old international student Haoyu Wang, who confessed to killing Dong with heroin to "relieve her from suffering" before attempting to kill himself with the drugs.Wang injected 19-year-old Dong with a lethal dose of heroin and fentanyl on Feb. 11, 2022, according to officials.Wang was charged with first-degree murder and is currently incarcerated, awaiting trial for Dong's murder.Documents shared by the University of Utah revealed a history of reports made by Dong to university housing staff regarding Wang's suicidal tendencies. Wang was charged with one count of assault for domestic violence in January 2022, the same month Dong received a temporary protective order from the police.In their own statement, Zhifan's parents, Junfang Shen and Mingsheng Dong, thanked the university and expressed hope that their daughter's case will help prevent future instances of domestic violence on the campus.Dong was her parents’ only child, whom they said in a statement was a “beautiful and capable young woman.”"She was a good friend and a loving daughter who had many respectable traits, in these short nineteen years, she lived a rich and fulfilling life ... Her short life on earth was not in vain." The statement said.Her parents told their lawyer that they refuse to believe that Dong is really dead and that they sometimes feel she is still with them.“The loss makes us very sad, leaving us only endless sadness and longing, and too many regrets,” the statement says. “When we shed tears and choked up over the pictures of our daughter, her lovely smiling face and familiar voice replayed in our minds over and over again.”They also said they hoped their daughter’s memory could be an inspiration to others to help prevent intimate partner violence both on campuses and in communities.“We hope she will inspire other victims to seek help and to leave their abusers,” the statement says.Sources: TheSacramentoBee, NextSharkAdd Wechat FLA5555 to ask to join the international students' wechat group.
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