Dad takes 7-year-old daughter hostage, threatens to harm her (China)

Dad is identified only as XU. What happened to this child's mother? Why is the child now with the grandparents?

http://english.eastday.com/e/140311/u1a7974013.html

Desperate dad takes daughter hostage

2014-03-11 14:53

A MAN who took his 7-year-old daughter hostage yesterday and threatened to harm her if his father failed to help him clear a gambling debt has been detained by police.

The incident happened about 11am after the man, surnamed Xu, argued with his parents. He then grabbed the child, pushed a knife to her throat and locked both her and himself inside a room at the family home on Laozhenbei Road in Putuo District.

Neighbors called the emergency services and after almost 10 hours of negotiations, police officers managed to convince Xu to give himself up.

The child was released uninjured and is now at home with her grandparents. Xu was taken to the police station for questioning.

According to the neighbors, Xu had gambling debts of more than 100,000 yuan (US$16,284). He became angry when his 50-year-old father, whose average daily wage is 50 yuan, said he was unable to help him. The pair began fighting on Sunday, they said.