A court in Yunnan province sentenced a teenager to life in prison on Tuesday for the rape and murder of a 15-year-old classmate, a case that has drawn national attention to juvenile crime.

The Qujing Intermediate People's Court announced the convictions and sentence for the defendant, identified by the surname Jiang. According to the court, the incident occurred between the night of July 6 and the early hours of July 7, 2025, when Jiang attempted to rape the victim, surnamed Fang, using violent measures.

Fearing his actions would be discovered, the 14-year-old Jiang strangled Fang to death with his hands, the court said.

The court determined that Jiang's actions constituted both rape and intentional homicide. Judges noted that the "extremely serious" circumstances and the severity of the outcome warranted heavy punishment.

Under Chinese law, the death penalty cannot be applied to defendants who were under the age of 18 at the time of their crimes. Consequently, the court imposed a sentence of life imprisonment based on the nature and gravity of the offenses.

The ruling was attended by family members of the victim, national lawmakers, political advisers and journalists.