Arabic version: عائلة تسأل عن العدالة في قضية خنق جينغاي زانغ

Loved ones of Jingai Zhang, an Australian woman who was strangled on Boxing Day 2020 in Launceston, are expressing their disbelief over the manslaughter sentence given to her killer, Tobias Pick. According to ABC News, Zhang’s family is troubled by the leniency of the sentence, which allowed Pick to serve less than three years in prison.

Pick, a German backpacker, pleaded guilty to manslaughter after claiming that Zhang, a sex worker, requested he choke her. The case has drawn scrutiny, particularly from Zhang’s husband, David Simmons, who questions whether her profession influenced the judicial outcome. He stated, “Yes, she was a sex worker, but the fact was she was still a person, and everyone’s got the right to do what they want to do with their life.”

An investigation revealed that Pick had a history of violence, with his ex-girlfriend accusing him of physical abuse, including during a fight before he killed Zhang. Simmons and others close to Zhang believe she would never have consented to the act that led to her death and argue that Pick should have faced a murder charge instead.

In a development that may lead to further legal action, German authorities have initiated a process known as “mirror proceedings,” allowing them to examine the crime committed abroad. This legal avenue could potentially result in a longer sentence for Pick under German law.

Zhang’s loved ones are adamant that her life was undervalued by the court’s decision, with Simmons questioning how her killer could only serve a fraction of the time typically expected for such a crime. Experts are also voicing concerns about the decision not to pursue murder charges, suggesting that the evidence warranted a jury’s consideration of a more severe conviction.