A man was sentenced to death by the Shenyang Intermediate
People's Court yesterday for burning his pregnant girlfriend
because the child she was carrying was a girl.
The court also ruled Wang was guilty of illegally possessing
weapons and ordered him to pay 700,000 yuan (US$94,595) to Sun, 24,
the victim, as compensation.
Wang met Sun last year in Shenyang, capital city of Liaoning
Province. Both were migrant workers and they started living
together.
After Sun had been pregnant for about six months she had an
ultrasound showing the fetus was a girl.
Wang wanted Sun to have an abortion but she refused, according
to Xinhua news agency. On February 13, they argued constantly
before Wang splashed gasoline on the woman and set it on fire.
Neighbors heard Sun screaming and saw her running out of an
apartment in flames. They put out the fire and rushed the badly
burnt girl to a hospital.
In addition to a disfigured face, Sun suffered burns to 30
percent of her skin and a damaged windpipe due to the inhalation of
extremely hot gas. She also lost the baby.
Wang fled after the attack. He was arrested at a nightclub on
March 22. Police obtained a crudely made pistol and three bullets
from him, Xinhua said.
(Shanghai Daily December 4, 2007)