China executes two men for committing deadly ‘revenge on society crimes’
News Mania Desk \ Piyal Chatterjee \ 20th january 2025
China has carried out the execution of two individuals responsible for fatal assaults that claimed numerous lives in November, prompting worries about an increase in what are referred to as “revenge on society crimes,” according to state media.
Fan Weiqu, 62, who drove his vehicle into a group outside a sports stadium in the southern city of Zhuhai, resulting in at least 35 fatalities, was executed on Monday. Authorities stated the incident was the deadliest in the country in over a decade. Authorities stated that Fan was distressed about his divorce agreement.
In November as well, 21-year-old Xu Jiajin attacked his vocational school in the eastern city of Wuxi, resulting in eight deaths and 17 injuries due to stabbing. Authorities stated that Wu did not pass his tests and was unable to graduate, feeling unhappy about his compensation during an internship. According to state broadcaster CCTV, he was also put to death on Monday.
Chinese President Xi Jinping called on local governments to implement actions aimed at stopping these assaults, referred to as “revenge on society crimes.”
Death sentences for the two men were handed down by the intermediate people’s courts in Zhuhai and Wuxi in December and ratified by the Supreme People’s Court, as reported by state media. While violent crimes are less common in China compared to many Western nations, there has been an increase in recent years. Stabbings and vehicle assaults have tested the ruling Communist Party’s image regarding stringent public safety and crime control.
They also possessed a shock element that caused some to reconsider perceived societal problems like dissatisfaction with a sluggish economy, elevated unemployment, and decreasing social mobility. China considers death penalty data to be a state secret, yet various rights organizations assert that the nation carries out thousands of executions annually. Traditionally, executions are performed by gunshot, but lethal injections have also emerged in recent years.
