Chinese man, 54, is sentenced to death for abducting and raping his neighbour’s four-year-old granddaughter
- Liu snatched the child and sexually assaulted her in a ditch in August in Harbin
- He was arrested by police after bringing the child back to her family the next day
- The young victim suffering severe infections is still fighting for her life in an ICU
- Liu was convicted of rape and handed capital punishment by a local court today
A man in China has been sentenced to death for sexually assaulting his neighbour’s granddaughter after abducting the four-year-old girl from her home.
The 54-year-old, known by his surname Liu, was convicted of rape and handed the death penalty today at a court in Harbin, north-eastern China, for his appalling actions in August.
The little girl, known by her pseudonym Yan Yan, is still fighting for her life in an intensive care unit after being left with severe organ infections and injuries, her father said yesterday.
The 54-year-old (pictured left), known by his surname Liu, was given the death penalty today at a court in Harbin, north-eastern China, after he was found raping the child (right) in August
The horrific incident shocked China after the girl’s family reported the missing child to local police on the evening of August 29.
They told the authorities that before the girl’s disappearance, their neighbour, Liu, had come by the house that night to ask for a drink.
The next morning, Liu brought Yan Yan back to her home. But the family were horrified to find their child covered with bruises with bloodstains on her trousers.
‘He brought my child back in the morning around 6am,’ the grandmother told reporters. ‘I thought to myself, ‘this is bad, he had harmed my child’.’
Liu was detained by the police on the same day.
The next morning, Liu brought Yan Yan back to her home. But the family in Harbin were horrified to find their child covered with bruises with bloodstains on her trousers
Yan Yan was diagnosed with severe infections and rushed to intensive care after she was taken to the hospital for examination.
‘The doctors told me that my child was nearly unconscious and had severe infections,’ Yan Yan’s father told Chinese media at the time.
Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, the parent said his daughter remained critically ill, fighting for her life in an ICU.
‘[She] is still critically ill,’ the father told state media China News. ‘All of her organs have been infected and damaged. She is also suffering from kidney failure.’
In a trial on Wednesday, the Intermediate People’s Court of Harbin sentenced Liu to death and deprived him of political rights for life for the crime of rape. He was arrested in August
In a trial on Wednesday, the Intermediate People’s Court of Harbin sentenced Liu to death and deprived him of political rights for life for the crime of rape.
During the police investigation, Liu admitted that he had sexually assaulted and raped the four-year-old in a drainage ditch near a construction site after abducting her from her family, according to a court report.
Liu ‘failed to rehabilitate’ and ’caused serious damage’ after he had previously served two sentences for murder and rape, the authorities said.
It remains unclear if Liu has appealed against the court’s decision.