China has enforced the death penalty on a couple who intentionally threw two young children out of the window of an apartment building. Zhang Bo, the father of the children, and Ye Chengchen were convicted of killing a two-year-old girl and a one-year-old boy in 2020.
The motive behind the gruesome act was linked to Zhang’s extramarital affair with Ye. After divorcing his wife and suppressing the truth about his parental responsibilities, the couple conspired to eradicate Zhang’s children.
The Chinese Supreme Court described the couple’s intentions as “extremely malicious” and condemned their “cruel methods”. Their execution took place in the city of Chongqing through undisclosed means, with lethal injection or a firing squad being the likely methods.
The court heard that Zhang began an inappropriate relationship with Ye without divulging his marital or paternal status. Even after Ye discovered the truth, she continued the affair. Following Zhang’s divorce, Ye viewed his children as obstacles to their future life together and persistently pressured Zhang to carry out the murders.
On 2nd November 2020, Zhang acted on their plan by throwing the children out of his 15th-floor apartment window. The news of their execution quickly gained traction on the Chinese social media platform, Weibo, sparking widespread reactions.
Chen Meilin, the mother of the two children, expressed relief stating that “a nightmare that tortured our family for more than three years has finally disappeared”. The couple’s execution coincided with another high-profile case, where an elite university student was executed for murdering his mother in 2015.
The swift and decisive punishment of these criminals has sparked debates and discussions concerning the enforcement of the death penalty in China, particularly in cases of heinous crimes against vulnerable individuals like children.
