Chinese juvenile jailed for life for killing 13-year-old classmate

ISTANBUL (AA) - A Chinese court on Monday sentenced a juvenile to life imprisonment for killing a 13-year-old classmate in a case described as “intentional homicide,” according to state media.

The victim, a 13-year-old boy, was killed in March by three classmates of the same age, identified as Zhang, Li, and Ma, in the Handan area of northern Hebei province. The boy had reportedly been a victim of bullying.

Details from the court case revealed that the juveniles, raised by their grandparents, were prosecuted under a new provision in the Criminal Law Amendment, Beijing-based daily Global Times reported.

The Handan Intermediate People's Court sentenced Zhang to life imprisonment and permanent deprivation of political rights. Li received a 12-year prison sentence, while Ma was spared.

The trio had buried the seventh-grade victim on March 10, but the case sparked public outrage after the boy’s body was found with injuries to his head and back.

The convictions follow China's decision to lower the age of criminal responsibility to 12 from 14 for certain crimes, though minors remain exempt from the death penalty.

​​​​​​​*Writing by Asiye Latife Yilmaz