Chinese man's corpse dragged out of coffin and beaten up by estranged children

Bad blood between one family in China turned an elderly man's funeral into an ugly one-sided brawl between a group of resentful siblings... and the hapless corpse of their father.

Three siblings in Jiangsu were so angry at their estranged father that they dragged his corpse out of his coffin and attacked his remains, causing a strange scene at his wake on Dec 27, according to Chinese media reports.

Footage of the shocking incident showed a group of seven men and women surrounding the coffin and flipping its lid open. One man slapped the corpse and swore at it before another man stepped forward and lifted the cold body up, flinging it onto the floor.

"You treated me badly when you were alive. Even after your death, I won't let you have it easy," one of them yelled.

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=86YWgOganrU&feature=emb_title&has_verified=1[/embed]

The deceased, who remains unnamed, had reportedly abandoned his wife and three children 40 years ago after having an affair with a woman living in the same village.

After the 72-year-old passed away due to illness recently, the woman asked his children to pay for the funeral expenses, prompting them to create a ruckus at the wake with over 20 people in tow.

However, the godson of the deceased rebutted the siblings' version of events in an interview with Beijing Youth Daily, claiming that he had borne all of the costs related to the funeral.

The deceased had left his family after an argument with his wife, not due to an affair, he said. 

He also clarified rumours that he was related to the deceased, saying: "My father is still alive. It's just that my godfather treated me well when I was little, so I took care of his medical fees and living expenses in the past few years." 

The siblings had tried to extort money from him thinking that he was well off and had created the entire commotion at the wake because he had rejected them, he said.

Local police confirmed that they were investigating the incident.

Those convicted of desecration of a corpse in China face up to three years of imprisonment, criminal detention or public surveillance.

A spokesperson for the local town council told reporters that the incident has since been resolved, while the deceased has also been cremated.

kimberlylim@asiaone.com