EVERTSOORD/NUSWILLER - The 36-year-old Chinese woman, who was detained on suspicion of involvement in the death of a 45-year-old compatriot in Nijswiller, committed suicide in her cell in women's prison Ter Peel in Evertsoord last weekend.A few days after her arrest in early November, the woman was already struggling with severe psychological problems, says her counselor S. Weening. At the time, the decision would have already been made to take her to a special institution in Zwolle, but that never happened, the lawyer said. According to him, she announced her death only last Thursday to the chambers of the Maastricht court, when they had to decide on the extension of her remand.

Press officer W. Smits of the public prosecutor's office in Maastricht could not say yesterday whether there was an agreement to take this suspect to a specialized house of detention. He did say, however, that the woman is no longer considered a suspect. The investigation into the suicide is being done by the public prosecutor's office in Roermond because it occurred in that district.

No one was present at Ter Peel in Evertsoord over the weekend to comment, but attorney Weening says it is absolutely not the fault of the prison staff that his client killed herself. "The people there did much more for her than was necessary according to their job description," he said. Counsel states that the woman heard voices and claimed that the spirit of her deceased friend Cha had taken possession of her. This spirit also allegedly ordered her to take her own life, Weening said. His client hanged herself using a tea towel.

The body of 45-year-old Chinese Cha was found Monday, Oct. 18, in a travel trunk in a cornfield in Nijswiller. She had died of suffocation. Two compatriots were subsequently arrested: Cha's Chinese girlfriend and this girlfriend's partner, both 36 years old. The female suspect has consistently stated that she had had nothing to do with her friend's murder, but had been present.

The defendant(s) in this case are assisted by: