A Chinese court has sentenced two teenagers for the death of their classmate in March.
The teenagers in Hebei province, identified only by their surnames Zhang and Li, were 13 years old when they plotted to kill their classmate Wang and split 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 particularly cruel and the circumstances particularly heinous”.
The teenagers were sentenced to life in prison and 12 years in prison, respectively.
The verdict puts an end to the brutal case that caused great public outrage 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 on Monday noted that he had conflicted with Zhang and Li.
A third teenager who was also at the crime scene, identified by his surname Ma, was not punished, the court heard.
On March 3, Zhang drove Wang to the greenhouse on a scooter, while Li rode a separate scooter with Ma. On the way, Li told Ma about the plan Zhang came up with to kill Wang.
When the four arrived at the greenhouse, Zhang began attacking Wang with a shovel and Li helped him. After witnessing the attack, Ma left the greenhouse.
Zhang and Li then buried the victim and the three walked away from the scene.
Zhang then used Wang's phone to transfer money from his WeChat account to Lee and himself. He also removed the SIM card from Wang's phone and ordered Ma to destroy it.
Zhang, Li and Ma were approached by the police and Ma eventually led them to the crime scene.
The court said Zhang was the main culprit because he planned the crime and incited others to join, and his actions directly caused Wang's death.
Li, meanwhile, was a conspirator who actively participated in the act and shared the money with Zhang, the court said.
Authorities said Ma will undergo corrections and education, a method usually applied to juvenile delinquents.
The teenagers' sentence on Monday was praised by social media users who were waiting to learn about the punishment for the gruesome crime. However, some believe that the sentence is too lenient.
“The one who gets only 12 years will be a young man when he is released. Hope he doesn't take revenge on the public when he's out,” read a popular comment on Weibo, referring to a recent spate of mass killings that spread fear throughout the country.
Others mourned Wang's death. “As a parent, I really feel sorry for the child,” said another Weibo user. “It's really heartbreaking.”