On Monday, December 30, a Chinese court sentenced a teenage boy to life in jail for killing his classmate, ending a case that ignited a national discussion on how to handle young offenders.
In April, it was alleged that three suspects, all of whom were under 14 at the time of the murder, had been harassing a 13-year-old classmate called Wang for a considerable amount of time before killing him in an abandoned greenhouse.
The case's graphic details—the murderers allegedly used a shovel to bash Wang before burying his body—brought the law's treatment of minors charged with significant crimes to the public's attention.
A court in Hebei, north China, said on Monday, December 30, that a youngster with the last name Zhang had been convicted of deliberate killing.
Another boy with the last name Li received a 12-year prison sentence. The third youngster, Ma, was given a correctional education sentence after the court determined that he did not cause harm to the victim.
In 2021, China reduced the age of criminal liability for "special cases" including causing death by "extremely cruel means" from 14 to 12.
It was believed that the Hebei case was among the first to implement the lower age limit.
The defendants were "over the age of 12 but under the age of 14 at the time of the crime... they should bear criminal responsibility" in accordance with Chinese law, the prosecution stated in its verdict.
It further stated that the methods used to carry out the murder was "particularly cruel, and the circumstances were particularly vile".
Murder carries a jail sentence or the death penalty in China.
