Hundreds of villagers in southern Guangdong Province have signed a petition demanding the execution of a man who raped and killed a seven-year-old girl.
Lin Jiangyong, 21, a native of Lingdi Village, received a death sentence with a two-year-reprieve for throwing Feng Binyan to her death down a 20-meter dry well after imprisoning and raping her last April.
Furious locals consider this punishment too lenient as under state law the sentence will be commuted to life imprisonment if Lin commits no crimes during the reprieve period, Nanfang Rural News reported yesterday.
Prosecutors in Maoming City also argued Lin received too light a sentence and having received the villagers' petition are appealing against the court ruling.
The child's body is still in a morgue as her grandfather says he will not allow a cremation until Lin "receives his due harsh punishment."
On April 26, Lin kidnapped the child as she was walking to school, sexually assaulted her in an empty house and left her tied up there.
Two days later, he returned and raped the girl again.
Fearful of being discovered, Lin threw the little girl into a nearby dry well and buried ropes he tied her with.
Lin was taken into custody on May 4, 2010 and went on trial on November 16, the report said.
The court heard that Lin had quit school in grade two and told police he was obsessed with pornography.
Lin said he wanted to have sex, but didn't have a girlfriend so kidnapped girls passing by.
He was also fined 148,383.5 yuan (US$23,370.4) by the court.
The report said that Lin had raped another seven-year-old girl in 2009 but had simply been told by village officers to pay 500 yuan (US$79) in compensation to her family.
Villager officers said the girl's family had been reluctant for the rape to become public knowledge, so they mediated as in a civil dispute.
But villagers said Lin's escape from justice in 2009 led to the death of Feng.
Villagers pointed out the irony in the fact that Lingdi Village is listed as a model village for good implementation of law.
"What happened is shameful," one villager said.