Death of thief in Wuhan raises questions about people taking law into their hands
Hebei resident Feng Weiyan has been cut off from the outside world in a Wuhan jail since his arrest four months ago, but when his case does make it to court, it is expected to set off a nationwide debate about people taking the law into their own hands.
Feng, 26, is the first vigilante on the mainland to be prosecuted over the death of a suspected pickpocket and, before his detention, was a member of a volunteer law and order group tackling petty thieves.
He is accused of inflicting fatal injuries in September on a man identified only as Mr Yang, and the case has raised public concerns over the violence that vigilantes use against their targets.
Vigilante teams targeting pickpockets have mushroomed in most mainland cities in the past two years as police have failed to rein in the small-scale crime. There are now about 70 similar groups across the mainland, said group leaders.
The volunteers come from a cross-section of the community and usually make contact through online chat rooms. They catch thieves in their spare time and at their own expense, and despite their dubious legal status are widely regarded as heroes.