BEIJING: A man in southeastern China, upset after discovering his wife’s affair, conspired with his cousin to kill his biological son in order to claim an insurance payout.
The Fujian Provincial Court recently released details of the case, which took place in 2020, drawing widespread attention online.
In April of that year, Zhang, from Sanming city in Fujian province, frequently argued with his wife over financial issues and her infidelity.
In a fit of rage, he devised a plan to kill their seven-year-old son to claim the insurance money.
Zhang enlisted the help of his cousin, who worked as a truck driver. The cousin’s employer had reportedly taken out two large insurance policies on the truck.
In October of that year, Zhang parked his car on the road with his son inside and instructed the boy to get out and wait next to the vehicle.
Moments later, a truck driven by Zhang’s cousin crashed into the car, killing the boy instantly.
When police arrived, they found Zhang in tears, cradling his son’s lifeless body.
The truck driver claimed he had been distracted by his phone and did not see the car ahead.
However, Zhang lied about his connection to the driver, concealing their family relationship from the authorities.
Months later, Zhang received an 180,000 yuan (US$25,000) payout from the truck’s insurer and gave his cousin 30,000 yuan.
The cousin received a suspended sentence for causing the traffic accident and was ordered to pay the boy’s family one million yuan (US$140,000), most of which was covered by the truck’s insurer.
The case took a turn when it was revealed that Zhang’s cousin had forged his road transport qualification, meaning he was not legally certified to operate the truck.
This discovery led the truck’s insurer to deny the payout, and the local court ruled that the truck owner, Luo, who was the cousin’s employer, should compensate the family instead.
Shocked by the ruling, Luo, along with one of Zhang’s friends, Ye, approached the police with their concerns.
Luo revealed that Ye had known about Zhang’s plan to kill his son but had refused to get involved. After the boy’s death, Ye grew suspicious of Zhang’s involvement but remained silent out of fear.
Acting on this tip, the police uncovered the truth and arrested both Zhang and his cousin.
The court’s judgment revealed that Zhang’s cousin was ultimately sentenced to death with a two-year reprieve, fined 30,000 yuan, and ordered to return the payout to Zhang.
Zhang also received a death sentence but later appealed for a reduced sentence. His final ruling remains undisclosed.
The case went viral on mainland social media, with related posts garnering over 32 million views.
One online observer commented: “There is an old saying in China, ‘Even a tiger will not eat its own cub.’ Zhang is inhuman, selfish, and greedy; he doesn’t deserve to be a father.” - South China Morning Post
