Woman executed for abusing and killing stepdaughter

A woman who abused and killed her stepdaughter was executed on Tuesday in Fujian province after the top court approved her death sentence, local authorities said.

Xu Jinhua was put to death by the Putian Intermediate People's Court, which had convicted her of intentional homicide and abuse and sentenced her to death. Prosecutors supervised the execution in accordance with the law, and Xu was allowed to meet with close relatives beforehand, the court said.

According to the court, Xu tied her stepdaughter in a bathroom in December 2023 and tortured her for 17 days, leading to the death of the 12-year-old girl. Xu and the child's father, Liu Jiang, were later detained by local police.

The case drew widespread media coverage in China and sparked public outrage.

In April 2024, the Putian court sentenced Xu to death for intentional killing and abuse. Liu was sentenced to five years and six months in prison for intentional injury and abuse. Both defendants appealed.

The Fujian High People's Court later upheld Xu's death sentence but ruled that Liu's punishment was "manifestly too light" and ordered a supervisory review to retry his case.

In December, Liu's prison term was increased to 13 years and six months following a retrial. The high court said his failure to protect the child as her legal guardian warranted a harsher sentence.

In China, death sentences issued by lower courts must be reviewed and approved by the Supreme People's Court before they can be carried out.