Wang Ziyao, a junior high school student in Feixiang District, Handan City, Hebei Province, China, had been bullied by three classmates for a long time. On March 10th, he was killed by these three individuals, and his body was found the next day in a vegetable greenhouse in Zhangzhuang Village, Beigao Town. Currently, the three suspects have been criminally detained, all of whom are under 14 years old. According to the Beijing News, the burial site is less than 100 meters away from one of the suspect’s homes, and both the suspects and the victim were left-behind children. The family of the victim hopes for severe punishment for the suspects; however, legal scholars believe that whether the case can be prosecuted through the highest judicial review is crucial to whether the three individuals can be held criminally responsible.
According to previous reports, Mr. Wang, the father of Wang Ziyao, stated that his son was studying at a certain middle school in Feixiang District, Handan City. Around 1 p.m. on March 10th, his grandmother was informed by Wang Ziyao that some classmates invited him out to play, and without much thought, she allowed him to go out. Around 2 p.m. that day, the grandfather called his grandson to ask if he needed someone to stay at home, and he answered the call. However, when they called again around 5 p.m., his phone was switched off. Concerned, the family immediately began searching for him, but to no avail until around 10 p.m., prompting them to report to the police.
After reviewing the CCTV footage, the police found that three male classmates were accompanying Wang Ziyao. At 2 a.m. on March 11th, the police and the village secretary visited these three students, but they all claimed not to have seen him. Mr. Wang stated that upon checking WeChat records, he discovered that his son had transferred hundreds of yuan to one of the students involved, so he immediately notified the police. With the evidence from CCTV footage and transaction records, the three students confessed that they buried Wang Ziyao in an abandoned vegetable greenhouse in the south of Beiyin Village.
Mr. Wang condemned the three students, expressing his outrage at their mercilessness. Not only were they suspected of killing his son, but they also buried the body, attempting to erase all evidence. “When his uncle saw the body at the scene, he found that his face had been disfigured by the iron shovel,” Mr. Wang said.
The Beijing News reported that Wang Ziyao’s parents were divorced, his father worked outside, and he was a left-behind child who lived with his grandparents. In the eyes of his family, he was a stable and honest boy who was almost always under their supervision. His father described him as somewhat soft and introverted; he wouldn’t usually approach elders in the village proactively. However, his aunt also saw a lively side of Wang Ziyao; they often chatted on the phone, and he would dutifully pour wine for his uncle at the dinner table. He also interacted confidently with salespeople in the market when shopping.
On March 11th, the Wang family received a notice of case filing from the Feixiang District Public Security Bureau, citing “intentional homicide” as the reason. On the 15th, the police revealed that Zhang and two others had been criminally detained on suspicion of intentional homicide. They were all over 12 years old but under 14 years old. The case is currently being jointly investigated by the Criminal Investigation Detachment of Handan Public Security Bureau and Feixiang District Public Security Bureau, and the motive of the three perpetrators is still under investigation.
At the scene of the crime, it was observed that the vegetable greenhouse was overgrown with weeds, and the pit where the teenager was buried was about 1 meter long and 60 centimeters wide, already filled in. It was surrounded by wheat fields on the east, west, and south sides, and adjacent to villagers’ houses on the north side. It is worth noting that the home of the suspect, Zhang, is about 100 meters away from the greenhouse. After the incident, some villagers saw Zhang’s parents rushing back from out of town. Relatives of Zhang stated that they usually thought he was very steady with the children, never expecting him to be so bold.
The grandfather of another suspect, Ma, recalled that on Monday, March 11th, his grandson packed his boarding supplies as usual for the upcoming week without any abnormalities. It wasn’t until 2 p.m. that afternoon when he received a call from the homeroom teacher informing him that the child had been taken away by the police.
According to the Criminal Law of the People’s Republic of China, individuals over 12 years old but under 14 years old who commit intentional homicide or intentional injury resulting in death or severe disabilities with especially cruel methods shall be held criminally responsible if approved for prosecution by the Supreme People’s Procuratorate. However, if the Supreme Procuratorate does not approve prosecution, the case will be referred back to the administrative system for specialized corrective education according to the Law of the People’s Republic of China on the Prevention of Juvenile Delinquency, with the option of placement in special schools or facilities for closed-loop management.
Furthermore, Wu Shaobo, a lawyer from the Beijing Law Firm, stated that it would be impossible to sentence them to death in this case. There’s a basic principle for minors when holding criminal responsibility, which is explicitly stated in the Criminal Law that individuals under 18 years old should receive lighter or mitigated punishment. Additionally, Article 49 of the Criminal Law explicitly states that individuals under 18 years old at the time of the crime shall not be subject to the death penalty.
The joint working group in Feixiang District, Handan City, released a notification on Sunday, the 17th, stating that all suspects involved had been arrested, and criminal coercive measures had been lawfully taken. Judicial authorities will punish the criminal behavior in accordance with the law.