Chinese boy, 12, who stabbed mother to death after row over smoking escapes punishment
- Wu Jiakang stabbed his mother 20 times then told police she had taken her own life
- Locals fear boy is a danger to other children and have appealed for him not to be allowed to return to school
A 12-year-old boy from central China who stabbed his mother to death has been released without charge following a police investigation, reigniting a debate on how to deal with juveniles who commit serious crimes.
Wu Jiakang, from Yuanjiang in Hunan province, killed 34-year-old Chen Xin on December 2 after a dispute at the family home they shared with Wu’s two-year-old brother in the city’s Sihushan township, The Beijing News reported on Wednesday.
Chen died from multiple stab wounds after being attacked by the boy in her bedroom, the report said.
An earlier police report said that Wu launched the attack after his mother had used a leather belt to beat him after catching him smoking.
The boy did not report what he had done, but instead used Chen’s phone to message his school to say he had caught a cold and would not be in class the following day. He also changed out of his bloodstained clothes and locked the door to his mother’s bedroom, the report said.
The woman’s body was discovered only when the children’s grandfather visited them on December 3, the report said.
When the police arrived, Wu appeared unperturbed by what had happened and initially claimed his mother had taken her own life, the report said. It was only later, when he was in custody, that he admitted to killing her as an act of revenge for the beating he had received. Chen’s body was found to have more than 20 stab wounds.