A woman was reportedly stabbed over 30 times at a park in Guangdong, China, by a stranger who then committed suicide, according to local Chinese media.

She was hospitalised in critical condition following the attack, while the purported assailant reportedly jumped down from the 32nd storey of a nearby building.

Scolded by her assailant before the assault

Local media reported that the incident happened on Dec. 15, 2023, in the Chinese city of Huizhou, Guangdong province, while the woman, surnamed Huang (transliteration from Mandarin), was at a park with her two-year-old son.

Her husband, surnamed Gao (transliteration from Mandarin), told the media that they did not know the alleged assailant and had no previous contact with him.

According to his wife, who has since regained consciousness, she had been preparing to take their child home at about 12:40pm after spending the morning in the park.

When she came out of a toilet near the park's entrance, a man who had been sitting under a tree beside the toilet suddenly came over to scold her.

In response, Huang asked the man, "Why are you scolding me?"

The man then stopped talking and left.

Wife stabbed until she could not move

About 10 minutes later, when Huang and her child passed by the park's entrance once more, the man reappeared and attacked her with a pair of scissors.

She picked up her child to run away but fell after a few steps during the attack, Gao said.

He added that no one answered his wife's cries for help.

When he came over from their home nearby, following her phone call, he found her lying in a pool of blood with wounds all over her body, including her cheeks, back, arms, chest, and neck, among others.

His child was also crying in shock.

Witnesses at the scene told Gao they saw the man stab Huang until she stopped moving.

She was subsequently hospitalised in a critical condition due to the number of open wounds on her body.

Assailant jumped to his death from the 32nd storey of a nearby building

The police then informed Gao that the assailant had jumped to his death following the incident.

"At around 1:50pm, the suspect ran to the 32nd floor of an unfinished building beside the park and jumped directly from one of the windows there," Gao said.

Following the incident, the police headed to the factory where the assailant worked to carry out investigations.

Husband: Family now in a "difficult" position

Gao said he has since paid over RMB20,000 (S$3,800) and still owes the hospital RMB30,000 (S$5,600) for his wife's treatment.

In addition, he still faces the cost of the follow-up rehabilitation treatment and described his family's current situation as "difficult".

The police have also conducted their own assessment of his wife's injuries, but the results have yet to be released, he added.

According to local Chinese media City Link, a park spokesperson told reporters that the incident happened too quickly and the security was not around as they were busy helping some tourists find their shoes.

"We did our best," the spokesperson said.

Helplines

If you or someone you know are in mental distress, here are some hotlines you can call to seek help, advice, or just a listening ear:

SOS 24-hour Hotline: 1-767

Singapore Association for Mental Health: 1800-283-7019

Institute of Mental Health: 6389-2222 (24 hours)

Tinkle Friend: 1800-274-4788 (for primary school-aged children)

Top image via City Link