First Case Likely to Apply Lowered Age for Criminal Punishment
A brutal murder of a teenage classmate who had been bullying others occurred, shocking China.
According to local reports, on the 10th in Handan, Hebei Province, northern China, three middle school students including Jang Mo were accused of assaulting their classmate Wang Mo with a weapon to the extent that his face was unrecognizable. After the victim died, they secretly buried him in a plastic greenhouse.
The crime was uncovered when a relative, suspicious of Wang’s phone being turned off, reported it to the police. Wang’s father told the media, "It is far more brutal than I had imagined," and called for severe punishment.
Location of Secret Burial Site for Victim of School Violence Murder in China Photo by Chinese SNS Capture
The police confirmed from nearby CCTV footage that Jang and his group surrounded Wang, who was sitting on a scooter, and arrested them as prime suspects the next day. The three are suspected of premeditating the crime, including digging a pit in advance. It was also reported that they had been bullying Wang regularly, demanding money from him.
After the incident was reported, Chinese netizens posted on social media (SNS) phrases like "Public execution! Nationwide live broadcast." Local media reported that this case is expected to be the first to apply the revised criminal law, which lowers the age of criminal responsibility.
Unlike South Korea, where the age of criminal responsibility is 14, China lowered it from 14 to 12 in the 2020 revision of the “Chinese Criminal Law.” If a suspect aged between 12 and 14 commits a particularly brutal and serious offense, prosecution can proceed with approval from the Supreme People’s Procuratorate, and criminal responsibility can be imposed.
The perpetrators in this case are also estimated to be 13 years old, so they may face severe punishment. For intentional homicide, the maximum penalty is the death sentence, but according to Article 17 of the current Criminal Law, minors under 18 who are held criminally responsible are subject to reduced sentences. Additionally, their parents are reportedly required to pay compensation for the victim’s death, medical expenses, funeral costs, and mental damages.
Following the news of this case, netizens expressed strong demands for harsh punishment, saying, “Don’t give them a break just because they are young,” “Make sure they are held fully legally responsible,” “Age should not matter in murder cases,” “This is why school violence should never be overlooked,” and “They should be sentenced to death!”
Children of 'Nongmingong' Who Left Rural Areas to Earn Money... Concerns Over Vulnerability to Crime
Since both the victims and perpetrators are children of Nongmingong (farmers who left rural areas to find jobs in cities), the issue of 'neglected children' is also coming under scrutiny.
According to Yonhap News Agency, as rural parents leave for cities to earn money, the number of children left in the care of grandparents or other relatives reached 67 million as of 2020. These children, who face high mental health risks, are vulnerable to bullying and becoming targets of crime.
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