20.01.2025 16:50
The perpetrators of two major attacks carried out in China with the motivation of 'revenge against society' have been executed. Sixty-two-year-old Fan Weiqiu, angered by a divorce settlement, killed 35 people by running them over with his car. The execution of 21-year-old Xu Jiajin, who stabbed and killed 8 people at his former school, has also been carried out.
In China, the perpetrators of two major attacks carried out with the motive of "revenge against society" have been executed. The execution of 62-year-old Fan Weiqiu, who killed 35 people by running them over with his car out of anger from a divorce settlement, and 21-year-old Xu Jiajin, who stabbed 8 people at his former school, has been carried out.
On November 11, 2024, Fan Weiqiu drove his vehicle into a group of people exercising at a sports field in the city of Zhuhai. According to police reports, after circling the complex several times, the attacker plunged into the crowd, running over approximately 80 people and causing the deaths of 35 individuals. The incident has been recorded as the deadliest public attack in the last decade.
The other attacker, Xu Jiajin, carried out a knife attack at Wuxi Vocational College of Arts and Technology, where he was unable to receive his diploma due to poor exam results. The attack resulted in the deaths of 8 people and injuries to 17 others.
The Chinese government is taking strict measures to combat the recent increase in public violence incidents. In 2024, 19 attacks motivated by "revenge against society" were recorded. Experts suggest that the slowing economy, high unemployment, and decreasing social mobility may contribute to the rise in these attacks.
Human rights organizations claim that China is the country that carries out the most executions in the world, with thousands of people executed each year. The government considers execution data a state secret and does not share numerical figures.
The news of both executions was announced by state media to deter other potential attackers. Reports shared on the social media platform Weibo were generally supported by the Chinese public.