A court in China’s Hebei Province has sentenced two teenagers to life imprisonment and 12 years imprisonment, respectively, for the murder of their classmate in March 2024.
The teens, identified by their surnames Zhang and Li, were both 13 years old when they conspired to kill their classmate, Wang, following a history of bullying and personal conflict.
The brutal case, which involved luring Wang to an abandoned vegetable greenhouse and killing him with a shovel before burying him, triggered widespread public outrage when it came to light earlier this year.
The court’s statement on Monday revealed that Zhang orchestrated the plan and carried out the attack with assistance from Li.
The two buried Wang’s body after the attack and stole money from his WeChat account. A third teen, identified as Ma, was present during the attack but left the scene before Wang was killed.
Zhang and Li were arrested after police tracked them down, with Ma eventually leading authorities to the crime scene.
The court found Zhang to be the primary instigator, directly responsible for Wang’s death, and sentenced him to life imprisonment.
Li, who actively participated in the attack, received a 12-year sentence.
Ma, who did not actively participate in the murder, was spared criminal punishment and will instead undergo corrective education, a common measure for minors who commit crimes in China.
The sentencing has been met with mixed reactions on Chinese social media. While some lauded the court’s decision, others expressed concern about the perceived leniency of Li’s sentence.
“The one who only got 12 years will be a young man when he is released. Hope he doesn’t take revenge on society when he is out,” read one popular comment on Weibo.
Others mourned the victim, Wang, lamenting the tragedy and its impact on his family.
