A Chinese teenage boy who killed his 13-year-old classmate before stealing his money will spend the rest of his life in prison.
A court in the Hebei Province of China sentenced a boy identified as Zhang to life in prison for the killing of his classmate identified as Wang. Zhang was found guilty and convicted of intentional homicide, according to CBS News. Two other classmates, identified as Li and Ma, were charged as accomplices.
On March 3, Zhang, with the help of two other classmates surnamed Li and Ma, lured Wang to an abandoned greenhouse where the defendant reportedly struck the victim with a shovel to death. According to prosecutors, during the attack, Ma fled the greenhouse while Li assisted the defendant in burying Wang before all three boys rode away on their scooters.
After the assault, Zhang used the victim's phone and transferred funds from Wang’s WeChat account to Li and himself. Then, he ordered Ma to destroy the SIM card belonging Wang. Soon, authorities tracked down the trio, and Ma led investigators to the location of Wang’s body.
In 2021, China revised the age of criminal responsibility downwards from 14 to 12 years old for murder cases deemed special based on ruthless means. As a result, the court considered Zhang as a candidate befitting such a sentence.
Meanwhile, Li was sentenced to 12 years in prison, while Ma was ordered to undergo correction and education since he was not an active participant and did not share in the loot.
The case had gained national attention due to the defendant's age and the heinous crime committed. Most of the Chinese citizens applauded the verdict, while some saw Li’s sentence as lenient despite his involvement in the homicide.
"The one that 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," stated a Weibo subscriber on the popular social media platform, reported BBC.
Wang had reportedly been bullied over a long period before his demise.
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