Deng Yujiao, a waitress in Hubei Province stabbed an official to death and injured another in resisting their sexual advances. Comments on the internet showed no sympathy with the dead official and generally support the 21-year-old girl, acclaiming that she is another Yang Jia who acted in response to an injustice.

The dead man, Deng Guida, is the chief of county investment promotion office. He came with his two colleagues to the entertainment venue Dream City for a massage, and met the waitress there. They asked for ‘special service’, meaning sex service in China, but were refused.

It is alleged that Deng Guida took from his pocket a wad of money and hit the waitress on the head with it. Humiliated by the action, Deng tried to leave the room but the victim twice pushed her onto a sofa as she attempted to do so. The waitress found a knife, stabbing at the victim's throat, killing him and also injuring one of his colleagues.

The waitress later called police and surrendered.

The news immediately triggered a public discussion after it was revealed. At first it was about whether the girl's action should be regarded as self-defense. Though legal experts agreed she is likely to be charged, some in Xing-Dao Daily, a Hong Kong newspaper, argued,

邓贵大要求邓玉娇提供“特殊服务”，邓玉娇不从，使用暴力手段，两次将邓玉娇按倒在沙发上，已构成强奸行为，且该不法侵害正在进行，并即将邓玉娇的人身造成严重损害。邓玉娇的防卫行为，是在情况紧急，精神高度紧张的情况下采取的自卫行为…不负刑事责任。

The official had requested Deng to offer ‘special service’, but was refused! He violently pushed Deng onto the sofa twice, an action that could well be seen as an attempted rape. The infringement on Deng's rights was an ongoing one and may well have severely injured Deng. Therefore her stabbing was an act of self-defense and given the emergency….she should face no criminal charge!

Many netiznes spoke highly of Deng. Yi Li in Tianya commented on the news, saying,

邓玉娇，你是好样的。敬佩你，支持你，向你学习。望保重。

Deng Yujiao, you are good. I admire and support you, and will learn from you. Best regards

Moreover, her story was written into a short chronicle in traditional Chinese that was usually used by ancient historians to memorize a heroic example. For those who knows Chinese, the text is here:

邓玉娇者，荆州巴东人也，美而烈，以修脚为业。

一夕，浣纱于室，野三关镇吏黄德智、邓贵大、邓某相携寻欢不遇，见玉娇，遂破门而入，欲强狎焉。玉娇严词斥之，邓贵大怒，鞭面以币，曰：吾辈多金，岂惧汝不从哉。玉娇不顾，贵大愈怒，乃按其于卧塌，强起，复按之，三者相视而笑。玉娇羞愤，遂操细刃刺之，三创而毙，德智复犯，玉娇又刺之，重创，邓者大惧，不敢前。玉娇乃投刃自首于官。

jy_xyp said:

娶女如此,此生足已!!!!

I would be content if I could marry a girl like this.

Virginity is very important in China, and there are numerous stories on how women defended their honor. The sentiment of admiring a girl for defending her virginity, is here combined with a hatred against corrupt officials in the case.

In People.com, a blogger Sun Xiaobo questioned:

一是这些官员哪里有那么钱？因为在争执中，被刺死的邓贵大曾从怀中拿出一沓钱抽打邓某的头部，一个靠工资过日子的公务员哪来的那么多钱，而且一点也不怜惜。到底是公款，还是腐败得来的。官员为何热衷于去娱乐场所？为何热衷于特殊服务？

How come that these officials have so much money? During the dispute the victim hit the girl on the head with a wad of money. How could a public servant on a salary have so much to spare without any thought or scruple? Was it public funds or embezzled money perhaps?

How could they visit entertainment venues so frequently and are obsessed with ‘special service’ so much?

Bloggers, netizens and intellectuals are taking action to support Deng Yujiao. A public letter calling for people to send their words of comfort to Deng, who is now imprisoned, appeared on the internet saying Deng is a heroine. Many still worry though that the police may manipulate the evidence to help the court rule against Deng.

In a preliminary assessment, Deng was identified as having a mental condition. Also, the police allege that the weapon Deng used was actually a fruit knife rather than the nail clipper that Deng used in her job of clipping nails for customers. On this point, blogger Zhou Zhongming wrote an article:

首先,他们故意不提招商办官员用钱打修脚女的细节. 其次,他们将自卫工具修脚刀换为水果刀.这看似细微的差别,所能形成的造案效果却不可低估:用修脚刀自卫,说明是在工作被挑戏激愤慌张中自卫,用水果刀则不同,洗脚物包间通常不会有,这就为构陷修脚女”折出拿刀再返回刺杀”埋下伏笔.这样就使显而易见正当防卫往故意杀人上靠.

First, the police don't mention the wad of money at all!

Second, they allege the weapon was a fruit knife, not a nail clipper! This is no small difference because if it is a nail clipper, it shows that the girl was defending herself in a panic with a tool right at hand. If it is a fruit knife however, it implies that the girl took the knife from somewhere else and killed the official on purpose rather than in simple self-defense

再次,他们声称在修脚女的包里查出治疗抑郁症的药.这一招最狠毒:可以维护官员的形象;又可以将修脚女投入精神病院折磨,谁都知道进政治精神病院是比死刑恐怖千百倍的事.

Further, they allege that medications for a mental condition were found in the girl's bag. How vicious a trick to protect the officials’ reputation! They can even put the girl into a mental asylum. Everyone knows it is far worse to be in a State madhouse than being given a death sentence.

The blogger gave a possible scenario of the police conclusions: that the girl, because of her mental condition and persecution paranoia, stabbed the two officials with a purposely prepared knife.

Could such a speculation be true? Netizens are waiting for a final answer from the police.