Chinese murderer sentenced to death for stabbing Japanese elementary school student on way to school

The Crime Took Place in Shenzhen, Guangdong Province Last September

In September last year, a Chinese man was sentenced to death for fatally stabbing a Japanese elementary school student on their way to school in Shenzhen, a major city in Guangdong Province, southern China.

Kyodo News reported on the 24th that the Shenzhen Intermediate People's Court sentenced the Chinese man, identified as Mr. A (45), to death. The court pointed out, "The defendant purchased a weapon online to gain attention and killed an innocent child."

On September 19 last year, a Japanese elementary school student was stabbed to death by an assailant wielding a knife in Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, China. A bouquet of flowers is placed outside the Japanese school in Shenzhen. Photo by Reuters Yonhap News

On September 18 last year, the 10-year-old Japanese elementary school student was walking to school when they were stabbed by Mr. A about 200 meters from the school gate. The victim was transported to the hospital but died within a day. Mr. A lived in Dongguan City near Shenzhen and was reportedly unemployed. The Japanese Yomiuri Shimbun, citing statements from Chinese officials and close sources, reported that "the perpetrator was dissatisfied due to difficulties finding employment" and "he stated that he thought he would gain attention if he committed a major act." It is also known that Mr. A believed that harming Japanese people would earn him supporters.

Coincidentally, the incident occurred on the 93rd anniversary of the Manchurian Incident (September 18 Incident) in 1931, when Japan launched its invasion of Manchuria, raising suspicions that this was a hate crime. Consequently, the Japanese government demanded measures to ensure the safety of Japanese nationals in the area, turning the case into a diplomatic issue between the two countries. Additionally, Japanese schools in major Chinese cities such as Beijing and Shanghai implemented emergency safety measures, advising students to refrain from speaking Japanese outside school and to avoid going out after school.

Prior to this incident, in June last year, a local man in his 50s attacked at a Japanese school bus stop in Suzhou City, Jiangsu Province, China, fatally stabbing a Chinese school bus attendant and injuring a Japanese mother and her child. Kyodo News also reported that this man was sentenced to death by the Suzhou Intermediate People's Court on the 23rd.