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The case sparked widespread controversy on social media in China after a court in Hebei Province issued its ruling publicly in early November.
The case sparked widespread controversy on social media in China after a court in Hebei Province issued its ruling publicly in early November. (representational image)
A teenage girl in northern China has written to a court asking for leniency for her father who electrocuted his wife (her mother) while she was in the shower.
The case sparked widespread controversy on social media in China after a court in Hebei Province issued its ruling publicly in early November. The 36-year-old man, Yang, was sentenced to life in prison for the murder of his wife, Yin, in March 2023, Red Star News reported.
What is the issue?
The couple married in 2010, and four years later their relationship worsened, and they divorced between 2014 and 2017, but they later reconciled. The couple has a daughter and a son who are 14 and 2 years old, respectively.
According to Yang, constant conflicts with his wife Yin pushed him to his breaking point. She reportedly did not get along with his mother. He also suspected that she was having an affair, South China Morning Post I mentioned.
Things got so bad that he once went to the hospital to check his mental state.
During the consultation, the doctor called Yin and asked her to give Yang “family warmth.”
However, after Yang returned home, Yin mocked him and told him: “If you really want to die, find a quiet corner to die in.”
Yang said that at that moment she developed the idea of killing Yin. In March 2023, he electrified a metal pipe on a water heater while Yin was taking a shower. After she died, he placed her body on their bed and surrendered the next morning. His parents are now taking care of the two children.
The Hebei court ruled that the killing was intentional. The prosecution proposed a suspended death sentence. However, the court chose a lighter sentence to show the “warmth of the judicial authorities.”
Asking for leniency from the daughter to the father
However, Yang’s daughter wrote to the court asking for leniency.
The agency quoted the girl as saying: “I know my father made a mistake. But he has always been a kind-hearted person, and does well at home. I hope he can return home to help me and my brother grow.”
The court then sentenced Yang to life imprisonment due to the situation with his children.
“After Yang finishes serving his prison sentence, the two children will probably have grown up and started their own families. But at least this life sentence can give them some mental peace during their long wait for their father,” the court said.
The court said it understood that Yin’s family would oppose the ruling, adding that it hoped they could understand her good intentions.
Shobhit Gupta is a sub-editor at News18.com and covers Indian and international news. He is interested in India’s day-to-day political affairs and geopolitics. He obtained a bachelor’s degree in journalism (with honors) from the University of Ben…Read more
Shobhit Gupta is a sub-editor at News18.com and covers Indian and international news. He is interested in India’s day-to-day political affairs and geopolitics. He obtained a bachelor’s degree in journalism (with honors) from the University of Ben… Read more
19 November 2025 at 8:01 PM IST
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