A teenage boy in China was sentenced to life imprisonment on Monday for the murder of a 13-year-old classmate, in a case that has ignited a nationwide discussion about juvenile crime and punishment.
The boy, identified by his surname Zhang, was convicted of intentional homicide by a court in Hebei province. He was one of three teenagers accused of bullying and ultimately killing a classmate, surnamed Wang, earlier this year.
The gruesome crime, which occurred in an abandoned greenhouse, involved Zhang and the other suspects assaulting Wang with a shovel before burying his body.
A second boy surnamed Li, received a 12-year prison sentence. The third suspect surnamed Ma, who the court determined did not directly harm the victim, was sentenced to correctional education.
The case is notable as it falls under a 2021 amendment to Chinese law, which lowered the minimum age of criminal responsibility from 14 to 12 for special cases, including those involving murder committed with extreme cruelty.
The court justified its decision, stating that because the defendants were over the age of 12 but under the age of 14 at the time of the crime, they were legally accountable under the revised criminal code.
The prosecution described the killing as being carried out with particularly cruel means and under particularly vile circumstances.
The chilling details of the crime have sparked widespread debate in China over how juveniles who commit heinous crimes should be punished. Under Chinese law, the penalties for murder range from imprisonment to the death penalty.
This case has highlighted the delicate balance between addressing the severity of crimes committed by minors and considering their capacity for rehabilitation.
