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A Chinese court convicted two teenagers for the death of their classmate in March.
The teenagers from Hebei province, identified only by their surnames Zhang and Li, were 13 years old when they plotted to kill their classmate Wang and divide his money between them.
After attacking Wang with a shovel, they buried him in an abandoned vegetable greenhouse, the court said in a statement on Monday, adding that their “methods were especially cruel and the circumstances especially vile.”
The teenagers were sentenced to life imprisonment and 12 years in prison, respectively.
The sentence puts an end to the brutal case, which sparked intense public anger when it was first reported.
Wang had long been bullied at school by three classmates, his family and lawyer said in March, while the court noted on Monday that he had experienced conflict with Zhang and Li.
A third teenager who was also at the scene, identified by his surname Ma, did not receive any criminal sanction, according to the court.
On March 3, Zhang took Wang to the greenhouse on a scooter, while Li rode on a separate scooter with Ma. Along the way, Li told Ma about the plan Zhang had devised to kill Wang.
When the four arrived at the greenhouse, Zhang began attacking Wang with a shovel and Li helped him. Witnessing the attack, Mom left the greenhouse.
Zhang and Li then buried the victim and the three left the scene.
Zhang later used Wang’s phone to transfer money from his WeChat account to Lee and himself. He also took out the SIM card from Wang’s phone and ordered Ma to destroy it.
The police approached Zhang, Li and Ma and Ma eventually led them to the crime scene.
The court said Zhang was the main culprit as he had planned the crime and instigated others to join in, and his actions directly caused Wang’s death.
Meanwhile, Li was an accomplice who actively participated in the act and shared the money with Zhang, the court said.
Authorities said Ma would undergo correction and education, a method commonly applied to minors who have committed crimes.
The teens’ sentencing on Monday was praised by social media users who had been waiting to hear about the punishment for the gruesome crime. But some suggested the sentence was too lenient.
“He who only turned 12 will be a young man when he is released. I hope he does not take revenge on society when he is free,” reads a popular comment on Weibo, referring to A recent series of mass murders that have spread fear throughout the country..
Others mourned Wang’s death. “As a father, I really feel sorry for the child,” said another Weibo user. “It’s really heartbreaking.”
