Authorities in the northern Chinese city of Handan have apprehended three adolescent boys in connection with the brutal demise of their classmate, according to local media reports. The victim, a 13-year-old boy known only by his surname Wang, was discovered buried in an abandoned vegetable garden, sparking outrage and intense discussions about juvenile delinquency.

The boy’s father disclosed that his son had been subjected to bullying at school. The state-run Global Times indicated that law enforcement is treating the incident as an intentional homicide. All three detained teenagers are under 14 years of age. According to Chinese law, individuals aged between 12 and 14 can only face criminal prosecution with the authorization of the Supreme People’s Procuratorate, the country’s highest public prosecutor.

The victim and his peers are categorized as “left-behind children,” referring to youngsters in China who reside with their grandparents in rural areas while their parents seek employment in urban areas.

The case has evoked an outpouring of sorrow on social media platforms, with tens of thousands of posts on Weibo and Douyin over the weekend. Commenting on a post by the victim’s father, which garnered 50,000 likes, one user stated, “The entire nation is monitoring this case, hoping that the authorities can deliver fair justice and provide the victim’s family with a satisfactory resolution.”

Despite their youth, many commentators insisted that the suspects should face severe penalties.

The victim was reported missing on the afternoon of March 10, as recounted by his father in a video on Douyin, China’s equivalent of TikTok. Local authorities indicated that the boy likely met his demise on the same day. “My child was still alive and well around 15:00 on March 10… All his funds were transferred from his phone at 16:10, and his phone was subsequently powered off,” stated the father.

Prior to his passing, the boy transferred 191 yuan ($17; £13) to one of his three classmates, according to his father’s account to the news. The family’s legal representative, Zang Fanqing, asserted in a Weibo post on Monday that the victim had endured prolonged bullying from his three classmates.

During interrogation by law enforcement, the trio eventually disclosed the location of the boy’s remains, initially denying any knowledge of their whereabouts. Authorities continue to probe the motive behind the killing.