Chinese Man Kidnaps Grandchild, Wants Ransom to Pay Gambling Debt

Gambling addiction can have dire consequences for the life of the person that is addicted. In addition to affecting their own life, many gambling addicts ruin the life of their families and loved ones. This is because, in severe cases of gambling addiction, people may steal or get involved in other crimes.

Given that addiction is an emotional state, most such people get caught, even if it takes a few years for their crimes to be uncovered. But in some cases, gambling addicts would do the unthinkable, and this is precisely what happened to a family in China.

Recently, local news outlets revealed details regarding a shocking story that involved a grandfather kidnapping his own granddaughter. While this may sound unthinkable and quite frankly absurd, the story gained popularity on the Chinese social media platform Weibo, surpassing 3 million views. No details online revealed when the incident happened but the story undoubtedly shocked millions of people.

The Kidnapper Lands in Jail

The shocking incident involved a 65-year-old man with the surname Yuan. As a grandfather, he reportedly kidnapped his own four-year-old granddaughter from school. The motive for the crime wasn’t complicated: Yuan wanted to repay a gambling debt. After kidnapping the girl, the 65-year-old man demanded ransom from his own daughter.

With the ransom, Yuan reportedly wanted to settle a gambling debt. This is why he requested some 500,000 Chinese yuan ($72,500) from his own daughter. His plan was to receive the money and then return his granddaughter to his daughter. Still, in an effort to convince his daughter, the man threatened her that she won’t see her child again unless he receives the ransom money.

The shocking attempt to receive money to settle a gambling debt by kidnapping his grandchild did not end well for the 65-year-old man. His daughter contacted law enforcement which resulted in his arrest. But the drama doesn’t end there. Despite what he had done, the man blamed his daughter by saying that she left him in prison and didn’t want him to heal from the gambling addiction. What’s more, the Yuan claimed that his daughter “wanted him dead.”

Without any doubt, the shocking story reaffirms how devastating gambling addiction can be. Although addiction helped push the man to do the crime, many users online did not show pity for him, saying that he has done something that is unforgivable and terrible.