Chinese man who stabbed eye surgeon in Beijing hospital gets suspended death sentence
- Cui Zhengguo was convicted over attack on ophthalmologist and three others last year
- Case prompted a public outcry about violence against health workers in China
A man who stabbed his eye surgeon in a violent attack at a Beijing hospital last year was given a suspended death sentence with a two-year reprieve on Tuesday.
“The defendant resorted to cruel and violent means and caused extremely serious consequences with a bad social impact … there should be no leniency,” the court said in a ruling posted on its official Weibo account.
Under Chinese law, a suspended death sentence is usually commuted to life imprisonment or a fixed jail term for good behaviour during the two-year reprieve period.
In its ruling, the court said Cui had been unhappy with his medical treatment by Tao and other doctors at the hospital. It said Cui attacked Tao with a knife in the consultation room and stabbed the eye surgeon as he tried to escape, inflicting serious injuries to his head and hands. Three others who tried to stop Cui were left with minor injuries.
