Murder of a 6-year-old by a 13-year-old triggers debate in China over 'age of criminal responsibility'

The younger boy, surnamed Wang, went missing in Mianxian township in Shaanxi province on February 17, The Star reported quoting Chinese national radio.

Surveillance cameras showed that he was last seen close to the community supermarket at around 6:30pm, but then disappeared.

The local police and Wang’s family searched for the missing boy for 15 days and posted notices at the train station and in other towns and cities nearby, reports The Star.

On March 4, police found Wang’s body at the house of the Yang family, who live in the same neighbourhood, a notice from the local government said on Monday, the newspaper reported.

The deceased child's father described the incident as an 'intentional murder'.

Police investigations found that the 13-year-old-boy had tricked Wang into his house on February 17 when there were no adults at home. He then allegedly murdered Wang and hid the body, the notice was quoted as saying by The Star.

Yang, who is the accused in the case, is a middle school student in Mianxian.

There have been debates in Chinese society over whether the criminal responsibility age should be lowered, due to repeated criminal cases committed by minors.

In one case, a 13-year-old boy from Dalian, northeast China’s Liaoning province, was found guilty of murdering a 10-year-old girl in October 2019 was given just three years of correctional education, reports The Star.