Diminished responsibility plea possible in Sichuan student murder
Xinhua, May 4, 2016 Adjust font size:
A Chinese college student alleged to have stabbed his roommate to death and beheaded him in March may be able to plead diminished responsibility at trial after a medical assessment found him to be depressed, local police said on Wednesday.
The suspect, identified by his surname Teng, was a freshman at Sichuan Normal University in southwest China. He has been in police custody since his roommate's murder on March 27.
According to a medical evaluation entrusted by police of Longquanyi District under Chengdu City, Teng was found to "have a depression disorder and diminished responsibility" for the crime he allegedly committed.h Under Chinese law, people with diminished responsibility can be given a lighter punishment.
Chen Fengfeng, attorney for the victim's family, said they will appeal the medical evaluation
"We have doubts about the material on which the evaluation was based," Chen said. Endi