China iPhone man commits suicide

A young Chinese worker suspected of stealing a prototype for the fourth generation iPhone has committed suicide. The BBC reports.

Sun Danyong was 25. He threw himself off a 12-storey building last week.

He worked for Foxconn in the southern city of Shenzhen and was responsible for shipping 16 iPhone prototypes to Apple..

One went missing. Sun reported the loss, and the company launched an investigation.

Sun's former classmates have told Chinese newspapers that during that investigation he was beaten, his house was searched and he was locked up in a room alone.

They say he described the experience in an online chat with them as one of the most humiliating experiences of his life.

Above, a video screengrab obtained by the Southern Metropolis Daily newspaper shows Sun Danyong being led into a room to be questioned on July 15, posted on The Sydney Morning Herald.

Apple spokeswoman Kristin Huguet in a statement to CNET on Tuesday:

We are saddened by the tragic loss of this young employee, and we are awaiting results of the investigations into his death. We require our suppliers to treat all workers with dignity and respect.

emily | 10:26 AM | News, Buzz |
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