A New Zealand court sentenced religious sect leader Kaixiao Liu to more than 10 years in prison for the manslaughter and kidnapping of a 70-year-old follower. The victim, Shulai Wang, had traveled from China to live with Liu’s family before her body was discovered near a marina in Auckland in March 2024. Liu, a musician who previously appeared on a Chinese talent show, denied the charges and denied being a cult leader.
The case began after a fisherman found Wang's body wrapped in rice bags near Gulf Harbour. Police traced the packaging to Liu through unusually large purchases of that specific rice brand. During the trial, prosecutors presented evidence that Wang lived in Liu's home, which he called "the Ark," along with other female followers. Witnesses testified that Liu exercised tight control over the residents, who referred to him as "Lord" or "Master" and lived in a state of servitude.
According to court testimony, Wang struggled to comply with strict household rules and was frequently disciplined. In March 2024, she was caught while attempting to escape the residence, was restrained, and died later that day. The court heard that Liu and his family subsequently dumped her body at the marina, taking Liu's children along to act as camouflage. Liu's wife, Lanyue Xiao, received a sentence of nearly eight years for kidnapping and manslaughter, while his parents await sentencing for related convictions.
The scale of the impact includes the immediate family members of the victim, Shulai Wang, and the multiple followers living within Liu's household. While the total number of followers was not specified, the court noted several women lived at "the Ark." The legal proceedings have highlighted the oversight of private residential religious groups in New Zealand. The case established a record of how digital platforms, such as song websites and Chinese social media, can be used to recruit followers into domestic environments that the court characterized as servitude.
The concrete day-to-day change for the surviving followers is their removal from the controlled environment of Liu’s home. For the New Zealand legal system, the case serves as a precedent for prosecuting leaders of small, private groups for the actions of their members. The knock-on effects include the potential for increased police scrutiny of social-media-based religious recruitment. What happens next is the sentencing of Liu’s parents, Xiuyun Li and Jingui Liu, who were convicted of kidnapping and misconduct to human remains and are scheduled to receive their sentences later this year.