In the aftermath of Saturday's mass poisoning in central China authorities imposed a virtual news blackout, refusing even to confirm how many people had died. Four days later they say they have the case wrapped up. They say police have arrested a man who has admitted to spreading powerful rat poison on food at a popular snack shop in the town of Tangshan. Hundreds of people became suddenly and violently ill after eating food at the shop on Saturday morning.
Authorities now say thirty-eight people died, many of them children, on their way to a nearby school. State-run media says the man, who has admitted to carrying out the attack, claims he did so out of revenge over a business dispute with the owner of the shop.
While the police account may well be true, there are serious concerns in China over the use of confessions. They're often extracted under duress and, in such a high profile crime case as this, the police will have been under tremendous pressure to get a quick result.
Rupert Wingfield-Hayes, BBC.
