On the morning of July 20, 2009, a tragic family incident occurred in Xichanqiao, Nanjing, due to escalated domestic conflicts: the female head of the household frequently suffered from her husband's beatings and verbal abuse; their son, trying to protect his mother, stabbed and killed his father. Afterwards, the mother committed suicide by poisoning herself, and the son was arrested at home. Only their daughter, still in school, remained.
Yesterday morning, the Intermediate People's Court of Nanjing opened the trial for this case. Fan, the 25-year-old son who killed his father, was charged with intentional homicide. Heartbreakingly, Fan had always believed he had helped his mother escape from suffering until he read the indictment just before the trial began, only then did he realize that his mother had already passed away. The heavy charge and the shattered family left this pale and frail young man on the verge of collapse. During the trial, he repeatedly covered his face and wept bitterly, even requesting the judge to impose a severe sentence on him. However, several neighbors came to the courtroom to plead for leniency on his behalf, and the prosecutor also requested the judge to consider a lighter punishment for Fan.
Court Investigation
Hearing His Father’s Sweet Words to His Mistress
During yesterday's trial, as the judge questioned Fan back and forth, the listeners gradually understood how unhappy this family was.
"My father and mother had a bad relationship. They often argued, and my father frequently beat and scolded my mother." "My father had an affair and never brought the money he earned home. My mother made a living by sewing, it was very hard, and they had deep-seated conflicts..."
"I once overheard him talking on the phone with a woman outside the family. He said he wanted to be with that woman forever and would treat her well for life."
In Fan's description, his father was an extremely irresponsible man. Information obtained from other residents in the same neighborhood corroborated this point. Several residents stated that Fan's father originally worked as a driver for an elderly official in Nanjing but was dismissed after drinking and fighting. Afterward, he spent his days idling around outside, frequently committing domestic violence against his wife, Yu. Some even claimed outright that Fan's father often engaged in prostitution.
The Mother Assisted Her Son with a Hammer
Fan recounted to the judge that unforgettable morning. On the evening of the 19th, his father once again raised his fists against his mother over a trivial matter, which infuriated him. Early the next morning, he cornered his father in the kitchen and asked why he kept hitting his mother. His father acted arrogantly, ignoring him completely. At that moment, Fan lost control and grabbed a fruit knife from the kitchen, stabbing his father. Hearing the commotion, his mother ran into the kitchen. Seeing the scene, she picked up a hammer, joined her son in questioning her husband, and struck him with the hammer.
From Fan's account and the prosecution's charges, it is evident that the mother and son were almost driven mad, completely losing control of their emotions. Soon, the father lay bleeding profusely, and the mother, Yu, changed into clean clothes, wrapped the hammer in a large bag, and left carrying the bag. Fan didn't know that his mother had already given up all hope and bought poison to commit suicide shortly after leaving.
Before Calling the Police, He Reminded His Sister to Take Care of Their Mother
After his mother left, Fan dialed “110” to surrender himself but hung up just before connecting. "I felt I had something to tell my sister," he explained. After cutting off the call, Fan called his younger sister over and instructed her: "Brother has killed someone and will surely pay for it. You must study hard, take good care of yourself, and take good care of Mom." His sister nodded through tears. Then, Fan went to check on his father lying in a pool of blood. Afraid that his father might survive and seek revenge against his mother and sister in the future, he stabbed his father's neck again with the knife...
After confirming that his father was beyond saving, he dialed “110” again to report the crime. Around 8 o'clock in the morning, a large number of police officers arrived and took him away.
Courtroom Scene
Only Realized Mother Was Dead After Receiving Indictment
"She really suffered too much... I wanted her to escape from all the pain..." Throughout the entire trial, whenever Fan mentioned his mother, he broke down in tears multiple times. Heart-wrenchingly, it wasn't until he received the indictment that he learned his mother had committed suicide by taking poison on the day of the incident. In court, hearing this news again from the prosecutor left Fan in unbearable anguish. He cried out to the judge, "I request severe punishment! Please impose a harsh sentence!" During the trial, Fan did not apologize to his deceased father, but his statements revealed deep regret, such as when he repeatedly said, "He was, after all, my father..." — the unspoken part afterward should have been a son's repentance towards his father!
His Sister and Neighbors Wrote Letters Pleading for Leniency
Yesterday, Fan's sister and other relatives did not attend the trial. However, his sister had previously submitted a letter pleading for leniency to the court. In the letter, the girl listed numerous wrongdoings of their father, described her brother's love for their mother and hatred for their father, and asked the judge to believe that her brother indeed acted out of anger and pleaded for leniency in sentencing. At the end of the letter, nearly twenty residents from the neighborhood signed their names, jointly appealing for leniency for Fan.
Five or six elderly women sat in the audience, all neighbors of Fan, and all had signed the letter of appeal. These elderly women knew the Fan family well, understood their conflicts, and deeply sympathized with Fan. They wiped tears throughout the trial. During the final statement phase, Fan suddenly turned around and thanked these elderly women for helping take care of his sister. The elderly women cried even harder. After this tragedy, only one girl, still in school, remained in the Fan family. For half a year, thanks to the help of these kind-hearted neighbors, the girl found the courage to continue living.
After the trial ended, the reporter approached to inquire about the conflicts within the Fan family, and the elderly women unanimously condemned Fan's father. One elderly woman angrily said, "He treated his wife badly, treated his children badly, and didn't even bring the money he earned home. His wife worked hard outside, making a little money by sewing clothes for others, it was truly exhausting. He had affairs outside and came home to beat his wife, how could the children not get angry?" These neighbors voluntarily surrounded the reporter and appealed on behalf of Fan, who had committed murder.
The Prosecutor Also Suggested Leniency
The Legal Aid Center of Nanjing appointed a defense lawyer for Fan. The lawyer pointed out the following mitigating circumstances: voluntary surrender, good confession attitude, and the victim himself bore some responsibility beforehand. This defense opinion was supported by the prosecutor.
During the final statement phase, the prosecutor emotionally stated that this murder case was a tragic result of escalated family conflicts, offering profound lessons to society. While Fan was undoubtedly guilty, his father also bore certain faults. Considering Fan's voluntary surrender and the special nature of this case, the prosecutor requested the judge to impose a lighter sentence on Fan. The Intermediate People's Court of Nanjing will announce the verdict on another day.