Mobile phones are more secure in China

A woman in China has been sentenced to ten years in prison and fined for stealing her employer’s cell phone, the sina.com news portal reported.

The 48-year-old woman stole the phone in a rage because her employer withheld her salary for several weeks and refused to settle the bill despite her repeated requests. The woman working for the family as a domestic helper thought she was "compensating" herself with the phone. However, the surveillance cameras exposed him, and the mobile phone worth almost 70 yuan (HUF 2,5 million) was also found.

The Honan (Henan) provincial court justified the 10-year prison sentence and the fine of 20 yuan (714 forints) with the price of the phone. Lawyers and private individuals, however, find the punishment too harsh, saying the simple domestic helper was unaware of what an expensive appliance he had appropriated and did so solely for not paying his salary.

The incident sparked a huge debate among members of the hundreds of millions of microblogging communities, with the majority seeing the matter as social injustice and voicing outrage. According to many, the court favors the rich and tramples on the interests of the poor. Since the case broke out earlier this week, several lawyers have offered professional help to the convicted woman to appeal the decision.