China school attacker gets death penalty

Last Updated: Friday, June 11, 2010 | 8:53 AM ET CBC News

A Chinese court on Friday condemned a man to death for a knife attack at a school in April that injured 16 students and a teacher.

If the sentence is carried out, Chen Kangbing, 33, will be the third school attacker to be executed this year.

Chen, a former teacher at the primary school in Leizhou City "hacked at the children and teacher in a very cruel manner, causing great harm," the official news agency Xinhua reported.

He entered the building on April 28 and attacked children with a 40-centimetre-long knife.

Although no one died in the attack, Chen was charged and convicted of murder in the trial at the Intermediary People's Court of Zhanjiang City in south China's Guangdong province, the agency said.

Chen suffered from mental illness and had been on sick leave since 2006. He admitted to the charges.

His attack was one of five school assaults since March that have resulted in 17 deaths and more than 50 injuries.

The attacks caused outrage and fear, and led the Ministry of Education to order tighter security measures, Xinhua said.

In other incidents:

Xu Yuyuan, 47, was executed in May for slashing 29 children and three teachers with a knife.

Zheng Minsheng, 42, was executed in April for killing eight children with a knife on March 23.

All the attackers used knives or hammers. Obtaining a gun in China is very difficult.

Its not known whether Chen will appeal.

From: http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2010/06/11/china-teacher-attack.html