Death of 13-year-old boy has put spotlight on juvenile crime and the plight of children left behind by rural migrant workers

The killing of a 13-year-old boy in northern China last week, for which three boys are in police custody, has triggered a heated discussion in the media on juvenile crime and the plight of children left at home by migrant workers.

Police arrested three boys and took them into custody after they allegedly bullied and killed the junior high school student in the small city of Handan, in Hebei province, on 10 March, and then buried him in a shallow pit, state media reported. So far, no charges have been laid.

Local police are investigating the case as a homicide and have set up a team of more than 60 people, state media broadcaster CCTV News reported. Police in Handan’s Feixiang District declined to comment, and district propaganda officials referred Reuters to CCTV reports on the case.