A bereaved father has called for the death penalty for the three children who beat his 13-year-old son and left his body "disfigured beyond recognition".
Authorities in China have arrested three boys and taken them into custody after they allegedly killed a junior high school student, named only as Wang, in the small city of Handan, in Hebei province, on March 10.
The following day, police officers found the young boy's body underneath a tarpaulin in an abandoned greenhouse, according to The Guardian.
In the final recorded moments before the tragedy, security footage cameras showed Wang sitting on a scooter, surrounded by three classmates. An hour later, his phone went dead, kicking off a desperate search by concerned relatives.
The details of the horrendous case drew public attention in China due to how the law deals with children accused of serious crimes.
The country lowered its age of criminal responsibility in 2021 from the international norm of 14 to 12 for "special cases" such as inflicting death by "extremely cruel means," which means the boys can be held responsible for the murder.
Wang's grieving father is now urging that his son's suspected killers, who are reportedly all under 14 years old, face the death penalty for the crime.
The father took to the social media platform Douyin to speak about the horrors his son faced, writing: "He was beaten alive and his body was disfigured beyond recognition," adding, "I hope the government will be fair, open and just, punish them severely, and that the killers will pay with their lives," per The Mirror.
Under Chinese law, murder is punishable by imprisonment or the death penalty, however, those under 18 cannot be given the death penalty despite the lowered age of criminal responsibility.
According to Daily Mail, a police investigator told state broadcaster CCTV on March 18 that the death had been premeditated and alleged that the suspects were digging out the pit twice - once the day before and again the day of the killing.
The 13-year-old's heartbroken family and legal team have also stated that their loved one had been a victim of bullying and was forced to give money to one of his classmates before he was murdered. In addition to this, the relatives have disclosed that authorities identified the suspected killers after checking the surveillance footage and interrogating the classmates.
The provincial prosecutor also added that it had obtained a police request last month to criminally try the suspects, saying that they "intentionally committed murder, causing the death of the victim Wang," per the outlet.
"The circumstances were serious and they should be held criminally responsible," the provincial office said, adding that the country's top public prosecutor had reviewed the decision.
"While handling cases strictly in accordance with the law, the procuratorial organs will... further strengthen the prevention and treatment of juvenile crimes," the provincial prosecutor continued.
Our thoughts are with Wang's family at this devastating time.
