China lags behind on whole "stalking" concept

Actually, that title could be a little misleaing because if you're a stalker, you may find their attitude progressive and refreshing.

You see, according to this article, a court in Harbin let a guy off the hook after he'd broken into his female neighbor's apartment five times, getting caught by the cops one of those times (presumably the fifth, but the article doesn't say) sneaking off with one of her bras, her MP3 player, and some photos.

Now, here's where the story gets cute (or scary--again, it depends on your perspective):

But the court in Harbin, capital of northeastern Heilongjiang province, dismissed harassment charges against the burglar. It heard that on the times he entered the woman's apartment while she was out, he had washed her dishes, done her laundry, left her snacks and even fixed her computer...

He once planted a note in the apartment reading: "Don't panic. I hope you can understand my feelings for you."

Well, I'm sure that set her mind at ease. There's nothing like coming home to find that a stranger has left a note for you that begins "Don't panic." It's quite reassuring, actually.

He told the court he swiped the woman's MP3 player because it was in need of repair, but admitted he "took her bra and photos out of love for her."

There's no word in the article as to whether or not a wedding date has been set, but I hear Harbin is lovely in the springtime.