A Chinese court has given a suspended death sentence to a man who injured more than a dozen children when he rammed his car into a crowd outside a primary school in central China.
Thirty people, including 18 schoolchildren, were injured in the incident in Changde city on November 19. This is the third attack on a crowd in China in the space of a week.
Huang Wen's suspended death sentence could be commuted to life imprisonment if he does not commit another crime in the next two years.
The decision, however, sparked criticism online, with some social media users accusing the court of being lenient on Huang.
In a statement, the court said Huang carried out the attack to vent his anger after facing investment losses and family conflicts.
This is the first time that the exact number of injuries following the incident in Changde city has been known. Many articles on this subject have been deleted from social networks.
A few days earlier, a man reportedly unhappy with his divorce drove his car into a crowd in Zuhai, killing 35 people.
Some observers have called the attacks acts of revenge against society. Others say the incidents highlight some people's pent-up frustrations with China's economy.
“Why does he deserve a suspension?” said a Weibo user about Huang.
“Such vicious cases should be dealt with seriously and quickly for deterrence,” another commented.
Videos that circulated immediately after the attack showed children lying on the ground, others fleeing in panic, and an angry pedestrian hitting Huang's car with a snow shovel while he was still inside .
The court said Huang's actions at that time reflected “extremely serious criminal circumstances” he found himself in.
As part of his sentence, Huang was also deprived of his political rights for life.
