The 14-year-old killer, identified only as Jiang, has avoided the death sentence only because of his age. He raped and killed an innocent 15-year-old schoolgirl in a horror attack
A pre-teen predator who strangled his teenage classmate to death after a twisted rape attempt has been caged for life – dodging the death sentence only because of his age.
In a case that has horrified the nation, the Qujing Intermediate People’s Court in southwest China handed down the maximum possible sentence to the 14-year-old killer, identified only as Jiang.
The court heard how the young monster carried out a “serious” and “vile” attack on 15-year-old Fang Han Han before casually heading off to pick mushrooms while her body lay cold. The tragedy unfolded between the night of July 6 and the early hours of July 7, 2025.
The pair had been playing together earlier that evening but as they headed home “playtime” turned into something far more sinister.
According to court findings Jiang launched a sudden, violent assault. As he attempted to rape the terrified girl, Han Han screamed for help twice. Panicked that his sick secret would be outed, the 14-year-old gripped her throat and didn’t let go.
“Fearing his actions would be discovered, the 14-year-old Jiang strangled Fang to death with his hands,” the court stated.
He continued to throttle the life out of his victim until she became “unresponsive”. In a chilling detail, reports revealed that after the brutal slaying, Jiang didn’t flee in terror – he went to pick mushrooms nearby before police swooped in.
Judges slammed the crime as having “particularly severe consequences,” stripping the boy of his political rights for life. However, despite the “extremely serious” nature of the homicide, the court’s hands were tied. Under Chinese law, the death penalty is off the table for anyone under 18.
The court ruled that based on the “facts, nature, and harm caused to society,” life behind bars was the only option.
The victim’s devastated father has slammed the verdict, refusing to bury his daughter until justice is truly served.
“He wants me to forgive him. Why didn’t he go easy on my daughter and give her a chance to live?” the heartbroken dad told Sin Chew Daily. “I failed to protect my daughter and I have already let her down.”
The family’s lawyer, Zhou Zhaocheng, admitted that while this is the “strictest punishment available” for a minor, it does nothing to soothe the “heart-wrenching pain” of parents who lost their child.
The family now plans to appeal the sentence.