Man sentenced to death for killing his children

A man was sentenced to death for tricking his two children into drinking pesticide, causing their deaths, the Zunyi Intermediate People's Court in Guizhou province said on Friday.

In a first-instance judgment, the court found the defendant, Liu Zhongjie, guilty of intentional homicide and sentenced him to death and deprivation of political rights for life.

The court said Liu, after failing to resolve marital disputes, persuaded his two underage children to ingest the insecticide DDVP. The victims were 10 and 7 years old.

As their biological father, Liu exploited the children's dependence and trust. While they were young and impressionable, he deceived them into taking the poison and then did not seek medical help, which led to their deaths.

The ruling said Liu acted with clear intent to kill and that his conduct gravely violated basic ethical, moral and legal norms.

The court described his methods as particularly cruel, the consequences especially severe, and the social impact deeply damaging. Given the extreme seriousness of the crimes, the court said he should be punished in accordance with the law.