Tibetan vlogger Lhamo’s killer gets death sentence for brutal live-streamed murder

The case shocked China and led to a public reckoning about domestic violence in the country

Lhamo was a beloved vlogger and had been streaming to her fans when she was set on fire by her ex-husband

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A makeshift memorial shrine from 2020 in honour of Lhamo, who was murdered by her ex-husband. Photo: Weibo

Published: 3:47pm, 14 Oct 2021Updated: 6:24pm, 14 Oct 2021

A Chinese court sentenced to death a man who set fire to his ex-wife and well-known vlogger Lhamo while she was live-streaming, killing her.

According to China’s state broadcaster CCTV, Tang Lu was convicted of murdering the beloved Tibetan internet celebrity at the Abe Prefecture Intermediate People’s Court in the southwestern province of Sichuan. The death sentence was handed out immediately.

Tang and Lhamo divorced in mid-2020, and three months later, on September 14, Tang made an unexpected visit to her home on the edge of the Tibetan plateau, carrying a knife and a bucket of petrol. He doused his ex-wife and set her on fire while she was live-streaming. Two weeks later, the 30-year-old mother of two died.

Lhamo’s warm smile had endeared her to fans online. Photo: Douyin

The very public nature and extreme violence of the attack shocked the country and triggered a fierce debate over domestic violence in China.

The Chinese government has proclaimed that it believes in gender equality and is using the tools at its disposal to try and fix the problem of domestic violence in the country.

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