A couple from China, Zhang Bo and Ye Chengchen, were executed by lethal injection on Wednesday, January 31, 2024, for a heinous crime that led to the death of two young children and sparked nationwide indignation.
The sentencing marks the conclusion of the tragic episode that started with the killing of Zhang’s two minor children in Chongqing, a metropolis in the southwestern part of China.
The Chongqing High People’s Court convicted Zhang for hurling his one-year-old son and two-year-old daughter from a residential building’s 15th floor in 2020.
Ye, Zhang’s girlfriend, was also found culpable, having influenced Zhang to carry out this act, considering the children as impediments to their fresh start.
The court’s verdict outlined a meticulously schemed crime, provoked by a motive described as “despicable” and carried out in a way termed as “brutal.”
The Chongqing No. 5 Intermediate People’s Court, following an exhaustive legal process, sentenced them to death in December 2021. The Supreme People’s Court endorsed this decision after evaluating the appeals.
The Supreme Court’s statement underscored the abhorrent motivations behind these murders, reinforcing the necessity for a strict reprisal to such heinous crimes.
The crime stemmed from Zhang’s decision to begin a new chapter with Ye, post his divorce from his ex-wife, Chen Meilin, in February 2020.
Ye, who saw the children as barriers to their shared future, coerced Zhang into removing them from their lives.
After the tragic event in November 2020, Zhang exhibited signs of distress, as video footage captured him in an apparent state of remorse and emotional instability.
Public responses to the execution have varied, with many feeling that justice has been delivered, as indicated by nearly 200 million views and numerous affirmative comments on Weibo, a widely-used Chinese social media platform.
This public sentiment is consistent with a 2020 study that revealed substantial support for capital punishment among Chinese citizens, although experts warn that online views may not fully reflect the wider public opinion.