Killing of rapist is a difficult case to judge

A man surnamed Tian hacked one of his co-workers to death with a cleaver when he saw him raping his wife in their dormitory at Rui'an, East China's Zhejiang province, on March 17, 2006. After being a fugitive for seven years, Tian surrendered to police last year, and was sentenced to life imprisonment. [Photo/CFP]

A man surnamed Tian hacked one of his co-workers to death with a cleaver when he saw him raping his wife in their dormitory at Rui'an, East China's Zhejiang province, on March 17, 2006. After being a fugitive for seven years, Tian surrendered to police last year, and was sentenced to life imprisonment. Comments:

Tian's sentence is too harsh and his conviction questionable. If the incident had taken place in the United States, the husband would have probably gunned down the rapist, and got a much lighter punishment. The court should review its judgment.

Tao Shun, a columnist at Sina.com.cn, June 17

A court is not obliged to always follow people's will. And not all its judgments should be in line with people's expectations. But if a court's judgment goes against public expectations, it should explain the legal rationality behind it. The media should highlight the details of Tian's case. For instance, Tian had seized the rapist and the latter fell to his knees seeking forgiveness. But still Tian killed him with the cleaver and remained a fugitive for seven years. Hence, his conviction for murder is beyond question. The only disputable part in the judgment is whether life sentence is too harsh a punishment for Tian's wife, who was the real victim in this case.

Ye Zhusheng, a research of law at South China University of Technology, June 17

A trial should not only defend the authority of the law, but also consider wider social factors. Tian killed a rapist. Although he violated the law, the heavy punishment he has got does not help the fight against sex-related crimes.

Zhi Feng, a columnist at Rednet.cn, June 17