Court Sentences Boy, 14, to Life in Prison for Killing Girl

A 14-year-old boy in Shenzhen has been sentenced to life in prison for fatally stabbing a classmate, the city's Intermediate People's Court announced today.

The defendant, surnamed Zhong, was convicted of intentional homicide for fatally stabbing a classmate surnamed Pan, also 14, at the entrance of her residential building on April 8.

The court said Zhong had developed unfounded suspicions about the victim, purchased a folding knife in advance and waited for an opportunity to strike. Pan died from multiple stab wounds despite emergency treatment.

Judges described the attack as planned and carried out with "particularly cruel" methods. Although the defendant was under 18 and eligible for leniency, the court said the brutality and social impact of the crime warranted a severe sentence. Zhong received life imprisonment and permanent deprivation of political rights.

Investigators found evidence of extensive preparation. Before the attack, Zhong tried to buy a colorless, tasteless poison online but failed when asked for identification. He also researched the legal consequences for minors who commit homicide, deleted his search records – later recovered by police – and scouted the crime scene a day earlier, according to the verdict.

The families lived in the same residential compound in Longhua District. The victim's mother, surnamed Zeng, told The Paper that she and another parent had occasionally helped pick up and drop off Zhong at the request of his family, but the households rarely interacted. She said her impression of Zhong had been that he was quiet and polite.

After the stabbing, Zhong went home and told his family he injured his hands while intervening in a fight, Zeng said. His family took him to a hospital. Police detained him the next day.

As for motive, Zhong told the court he felt inferior to Pan, who performed better academically, and believed she looked down on him–claims the victim's family rejected.