Liu referred jurors to a document written by one of the women in the house titled \u201cLetter of Conversion\u201d.<\/p>\n
The document began: \u201cI, [name suppressed], of Guangdong, China, am willing to abandon my previous last name and voluntarily convert to the secret Liu family of the tribe of Judah, descendants of David, and the reasons are as follows…\u201d <\/p>\n
Liu took issue with the word \u201cconvert\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn English, conversion is said like religious recruitment or a cult induction,\u201d he said, suggesting that it could have just as easily been interpreted to mean \u201cfamily affiliation\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t think I accept that,\u201d the translator responded. \u201cMy understanding is it was \u2018convert\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n
Liu also suggested that \u201cthe secret Liu family\u201d should have instead been translated as \u201cthe hidden Liu family\u201d – a \u201cneutral\u201d word, he insisted, that is in line with common Chinese translations of the Bible. The translator wasn\u2019t there to give Biblical context, Justice Mathew Downs interjected.<\/p>\n
But the witness agreed the words \u201csecret\u201d and \u201chidden\u201d could be interchangeable. <\/p>\n
Liu also directed the translator to another document written by the same woman titled \u201cCovenant of the body\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cI, [name suppressed], voluntarily love, marry and have children with Mr KL, build a big family, love and live harmoniously with several other women in the big family,\u201d the English translation read. \u201cI am writing this Letter of Covenant with a clear mind. (Text may have been cut off) KL and several other women will love each other, live happily, freely and beautifully.\u201d<\/p>\n
Pointing to the translator\u2019s aside in parentheses that some of the handwritten text might be missing, Liu suggested that a single missing word might change the entire meaning. <\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m not sure,\u201d the translator responded.<\/p>\n
At another point in his three hours of cross-examination, Liu suggested \u201cMaster\u201d could have been translated instead to \u201chost\u201d. The translator said he doubted it. But Master and Lord are interchangeable, he said. <\/p>\n
Liu\u2019s cross-examination was meandering at times, with asides about Mandarin characters and long pauses as he appeared to come up with his own translations on the spot. He hadn\u2019t had much time to prepare, he said at one point before the judge reminded him the statement amounted to him testifying rather than asking a question. <\/p>\n
\u201cThe jury don\u2019t know Mandarin,\u201d Justice Mathew Downs reminded the defendant at another point. \u201cCan we please focus?\u201d<\/p>\n
After sending the jury out of the courtroom two times for in-chambers discussions that cannot be reported, the judge sent the group home early at 1pm, with instructions to return tomorrow for the cross-examination to continue. <\/p>\n
\u201cI want to explore if there is a better way we can conduct this … and get a process that\u2019s a little more helpful for everyone,\u201d he said, emphasising to jurors that his frequent interuptions of Liu that morning had not been \u201can adverse reaction to his case\u201d. <\/p>\n
Earlier, prosecutor Henry Steele had started the day\u2019s court proceedings by introducing one more document that had been discovered by police inside the home. <\/p>\n
It was titled \u201cYa daily writings\u201d and dated March 7, 2024, the day Wang is believed to have died. Authorities have said Ya is a nickname used for Kaixiao Liu\u2019s mother, co-defendant Xiuyun Li. The document was found in her bedroom.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere were no more sounds coming from Shulai today, thank you Heavenly Father God for completely protecting our family,\u201d the document stated. \u201cHeavenly father God is in our home every moment… <\/p>\n
\u201cI understand what it means to that evil will never suppress righteousness. Our family is a house full of justice, and all evil will be eliminated. Thank you and praise you, Heavenly Father God! All glory and praise be to God the Father!\u201d<\/p>\n