Death knell for knife killer of 8 students
By Wang Xiang |
April 9, 2010, Friday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
AS a court in south China yesterday sentenced a former doctor to death for killing eight students and injuring five, he showed no emotion or contrition.
Victims' families were all in tears during the hearing, still mourning the loss of their precious little ones in a bloodbath by a primary school's gates just over two weeks ago.
The murderer, Zheng Minsheng, once based in a community hospital in Nanping City in Fujian, showed nothing short of scorn and arrogance toward his tiny victims and their families left to deal with a life of mourning.
He watched 15 video clips, totaling 55 seconds, showing him stabbing the children with a knife as they arrived at the school. He merely nodded to admit that it was indeed him on the video.
The parents of the victims lowered their heads and hugged each other when the video was played in court.
Bizarrely, Zheng told the court it was "karma" for him to attack the 13 pupils and a case of "cause and consequence."
Zheng, 42, raised no objections about any evidence during the three-hour hearing and told Nanping Intermediate People's Court: "I'm willing to shoulder responsibility for what I've done."
However, he was agitated and repeatedly told the court he had been turned down by a woman and suffered unfair treatment from her wealthy family, which prompted him to carry out the attacks.
As soon as the judge read the verdict, Zheng calmly said he would appeal.
Prosecutors said Zheng, who is not married, had been unsuccessful in relationships with women, his family and in his career, so "he felt life was meaningless."
He had no history of mental illness, according to police.
Zheng said after his arrest on the day of the atrocity that he planned to kill 30 students and claimed it was revenge on his ex-girlfriend, who dumped him, and his former boss.
Some Nanping residents gathered outside the courthouse despite rainy weather to hear the verdict.
Four of the injured children have been moved out of intensive care to undergo rehabilitation and physiotherapy.
The most severely injured, Zhang Xuexin, is still inICU under observation, according to doctors from the No. 1 Hospital of Nanping.
Victims' families were all in tears during the hearing, still mourning the loss of their precious little ones in a bloodbath by a primary school's gates just over two weeks ago.
The murderer, Zheng Minsheng, once based in a community hospital in Nanping City in Fujian, showed nothing short of scorn and arrogance toward his tiny victims and their families left to deal with a life of mourning.
He watched 15 video clips, totaling 55 seconds, showing him stabbing the children with a knife as they arrived at the school. He merely nodded to admit that it was indeed him on the video.
The parents of the victims lowered their heads and hugged each other when the video was played in court.
Bizarrely, Zheng told the court it was "karma" for him to attack the 13 pupils and a case of "cause and consequence."
Zheng, 42, raised no objections about any evidence during the three-hour hearing and told Nanping Intermediate People's Court: "I'm willing to shoulder responsibility for what I've done."
However, he was agitated and repeatedly told the court he had been turned down by a woman and suffered unfair treatment from her wealthy family, which prompted him to carry out the attacks.
As soon as the judge read the verdict, Zheng calmly said he would appeal.
Prosecutors said Zheng, who is not married, had been unsuccessful in relationships with women, his family and in his career, so "he felt life was meaningless."
He had no history of mental illness, according to police.
Zheng said after his arrest on the day of the atrocity that he planned to kill 30 students and claimed it was revenge on his ex-girlfriend, who dumped him, and his former boss.
Some Nanping residents gathered outside the courthouse despite rainy weather to hear the verdict.
Four of the injured children have been moved out of intensive care to undergo rehabilitation and physiotherapy.
The most severely injured, Zhang Xuexin, is still inICU under observation, according to doctors from the No. 1 Hospital of Nanping.
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