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Man In Chinese School Knifing Attack Sentenced To Death

15 May 2010 19:17 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA. A court in China sentenced a man to death for the knifing of 29 young children and three teachers at a school. The Taixing Intermediate Court found Xu Yuyuan guilty of intentional homicide after a half-day open trial, allheadlinenews.com website.
300 people attended the trial and heard how Xu told the court that his motive for the attack was his rage against society. Xu who had been jobless for nine years said he was exacting revenge over several business and personal wrongs he claimed to have suffered from over the years.
The ruling issued sent a clear statement of zero-tolerance for people who target vulnerable school children. China has been plagued with a string of school attacks in recent weeks prompting police to increase security at educational institutions and surrounding neighborhoods. 17 people -- including 15 children â€“ in the last two months have been slain by attackers at schools. 80 more have been injured.
It remains unknown if Xu plans on appealing the court’s ruling.
Twenty-nine children aged four or under and two teachers and a security guard were injured when Xu attacked them with the cleaver at Zhongxin nursery school in Taixing city on April 29. Four of Xu’s young victims were gravely hurt, according to official media.

Xu’s attack was followed by another shockingly horrific case in Shaanxi province that saw several children murdered. The attacker in that incident however committed suicide shortly after the killings.