Controversy Arises over Lenient Sentence for Murderer Ao Xiang

• Author: China Law Digest compiled news

On November 21, 2011, Ao Xiang murdered Liang, a sophomore from Dongguan University of Technology, while she was in the restroom. Ao Xiang had sexually assaulted young woman seven times on campus before he victimized Liang, and the last two incidents took place in the women’s restroom.

Dongguan Intermediate People’s Court found Ao guilty of humiliating a woman by force and intentional killing. But due to his voluntary surrender and pleading guilty, Ao Xiang was sentenced to death with reprieve.

In response to the public uproar caused by this ruling, the court held that the sentence...