Couple executed in SW China for murder of two children

CHONGQING, Jan. 31 (Xinhua) -- A local court on Wednesday executed a couple for throwing two children from a window in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality.

The couple were found guilty of causing the children's fatal falls on Nov. 2, 2020, in Chongqing, and they were sentenced to death in December 2021. They were executed following a recent ruling from the Supreme People's Court (SPC) that confirmed and approved their death sentences.

Zhang Bo, the father of the two children, had begun an inappropriate relationship with Ye Chengchen without informing her of his marital or parental status.

After Zhang divorced his wife, Ye reportedly began to perceive the children as obstacles to her future with Zhang, regardless of the fact that Zhang and his former wife had established a custody agreement for their two-year-old daughter and one-year-old son.

Zhang and Ye devised a plan to murder the two children in a staged accidental fall. Ye repeatedly pressured Zhang to complete the scheme, setting deadlines and resorting to threats. When Zhang's mother was away from the home on Nov. 2, 2020, he followed through with the plan, causing the tragic deaths of his two children by throwing them from the 15th-floor window.

Zhang and Ye seriously challenged legal and moral boundaries. Their criminal motives were extremely malicious, and the case had particularly heinous circumstances, cruel methods and severe consequences. They were duly punished in accordance with the law, according to the SPC.