University starts fund to honor slain Chinese student

Montreal’s Concordia University set up a fund Friday to honor a Chinese student whose appalling murder has sent shock waves across Canada and the world.

Lin Jun, a 33-year-old Chinese national studying in Montreal, was allegedly murdered, dismembered and filmed by Luka Rocco Magnotta, who was arrested this week in Germany and awaits extradition.

“This has been a very emotional and heartbreaking journey for the Lin family,” the university said.

The fund, which is open to the public for donations, would help Chinese students at Concordia as well as defray the expenses of the victim’s family, who have traveled from China to Montreal.

“Concordia is pleased to announce that we are establishing the Jun Lin Family Fund to provide financial assistance for the immediate needs of the Lin family. We are also creating the Jun Lin Award to benefit Chinese students studying at the university,” the administration said.

Concordia’s Chinese Students Association, which had already been collecting money to help the family, was pleased with the announcement.

“The university has good ways to help people donate. We’re happy about this,” Yan Shi, head of Concordia’s Chinese Students Association told AFP.

Yan Shi was part of a delegation that met Lin’s mother, father, sister and at the airport when they arrived late Tuesday.

Lin’s mother was stricken with grief and could barely contain her emotion upon her arrival, Yan Shi said.

“We have come to take you home,” his mother said of her son, sobbing.

Yan Shi told AFP that “the family is strong but his mother is still very emotional.”

“We don’t know how they feel inside. We can only imagine,” adding that the mother stayed in the hotel yesterday while the father and uncle met with authorities.

Donations to the fund can be made at http://www.concordia.ca/alumni-giving/giving/areas-to-support/in-memory-of-jun-lin/