Three teens detained over gruesome murder of 13-year-old classmate, sparking debate in China

By DAKE KANG
Associated Press

BEIJING (AP) — Three teens have been detained over the gruesome murder of a thirteen-year-old boy in China, riveting users on Chinese social media and sparking debate over bullying and mental health in China’s countryside. Chinese authorities identified the victim only by his last name, Wang, saying Sunday that the boy was killed on March 10 and that the suspects were detained the following day. The victim and suspected killers are all “left behind” children, a phrase used in China to describe children left with their grandparents in the countryside so their parents can work in big cities. Wang’s death has raised concern over the exposure of such children to violent content online and the ability of China’s social services to care for them.