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Re: Man Sentenced in radioactive Poisoning Case
This is one more case in the current "epidemic" of intentional misuse incidents. In
this case, enforcment action against the licensee may be appropriate, since it seems
that the radioactive material used had not been properly secured.
This is something that the regulators, as well as all health physicists, should be
addressing. Make sure that all radioactive material at your facility is properly
secured against removal by unauthorized persons, and that all those authorized access
to this material are properly screened and trained, to provide a reasonable assurance
that this will not happen. Your facility should publicize and enforce a zero
tolerance policy for any intentional misuse.
I say this, because I am concerned about radioactive material seeming to become a
weapon of choice for workplace and domestic violence. Publicity of these events will
furter erode public confidence in our ability to safety manage our technology.
The opinions expressed are strictly mine.
It's not about dose, it's about trust.
Bill Lipton
liptonw@dteenergy.com
Sandy Perle wrote:
> Man Sentenced in radioactive Poisoning Case
>
> PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) - A former Brown University graduate student
> who used radioactive iodine to poison his ex-girlfriend was sentenced
> to 10 years of probation Friday.
>
> Superior Court Judge Francis Darrigan said Cheng Gu, 26, lost his
> chance for a U.S. education, was shamed before his friends and family
> and likely would be deported to China as a result of his crime. A
> prison sentence would serve no purpose, he said.
>
> Gu's ex-girlfriend, Yuanyuan Xiao, was not hurt because the dose was
> so low. She asked the judge not to impose a harsh sentence.
>
> ``He wanted the iodine to make her ugly so no one else would want
> her,'' prosecutor Stacey Veroni said. ``This isn't a case of a man in
> love or a lovesick defendant. This is a case of domestic violence.''
>
> Gu, a molecular pharmacology graduate student, said he stole a
> radioactive isotope of iodine from a Brown lab and spiked his
> girlfriend's food on more than one occasion.
>
> She was found to be contaminated during a routine procedure performed
> on her before she was to conduct an experiment using radioactive
> materials. Brown's radiation safety officers went to Xiao's apartment
> and found high levels of radiation coming from a dish of leftovers.
>
> Her roommate, James O'Brien, had also eaten the food, and was found
> to be contaminated as well.
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> Sandy Perle Tel:(714) 545-0100 / (800) 548-5100
> Director, Technical Extension 2306
> ICN Worldwide Dosimetry Division Fax:(714) 668-3149
> ICN Biomedicals, Inc. E-Mail: sandyfl@earthlink.net
> ICN Plaza, 3300 Hyland Avenue E-Mail: sperle@icnpharm.com
> Costa Mesa, CA 92626
>
> Personal Website: http://www.geocities.com/scperle
> ICN Worldwide Dosimetry Website: http://www.dosimetry.com
>
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