A Chinese court has sentenced a 14-year-old boy to life in prison for the rape and murder of his 15-year-old classmate, a case that has become a landmark in juvenile crime.The Qujing Intermediate People’s Court announced its verdict convicting and sentencing the defendant who attempted to rape his classmate.According to the court, the incident occurred between the night of July 6 and the early hours of July 7, 2025, when the teenage boy allegedly used violence in an attempt to sexually assault the female victim, China Daily reported.According to the court, the boy killed the victim by suffocation in an apparent attempt to hide the crime. He was 14 years old at the time of the accident.The court ruled that his actions amounted to rape and premeditated murder, and described the case as “extremely serious” due to the nature of the crime and its fatal outcome.While the judges noted that the crimes warranted the harshest punishment, they said Chinese law prohibited the death penalty for offenders who were under 18 at the time. The 14-year-old was therefore sentenced to life imprisonment.The session was attended by the victim’s family, along with national legislators, political advisors and members of the media.
