Outrage in China as car thief kills baby boy
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Thousands took to the streets of Changchun in north-eastern China today for a candlelight vigil to mourn a baby who was strangled by a carjacker, in a case that has appalled the whole country.
Two-month-old Xu Haobo was asleep in the back seat of his parents’ car early Monday morning when his father left him in the car and ran into a shop owned by the family to turn on the heating. When he came out, the car was gone, prompting a manhunt involving 3,500 police officers.
Former labour camp inmate Zhou Xijun, 48, turned himself in the following day. He confessed that he had driven to Gongzhuling County, about 35 miles southwest of Changchun, where he strangled the baby and buried him in snow. On Tuesday morning, inspectors identified the stolen car in a parking lot 20 miles outside the city. The infant’s clothing was found nearby.
Within an hour of the news of the child’s death, there were 60,000 messages of sympathy on the Weibo service, many calling for Mr Zhou’s execution. “How can such a cruel person exist in the world?” wrote one microblogger.
The baby’s mother was reported by state media to have had a heart attack when informed of her son’s death.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments