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In May 2003, in Chenggu County, Shaanxi Province, three middle school students brutally beat and sexually humiliated a 41-year-old female beggar named Li Wenlan, leading to her death. The case sparked widespread outrage due to both the brutality of the attack and the subsequent indifference of local authorities.

The Assault

On the night of May 6, 2003, three students—Guo, Zhang, and Wang—were drinking at a barbecue stall in Erli Town to celebrate Wang's birthday. Li Wenlan, a mentally ill woman from a nearby village who had become a beggar, approached them asking for food. After some verbal exchange, she left. Later, Zhang claimed she had cursed at them as she walked away, and the three, intoxicated, decided to pursue her.

They caught up with Li near the Erli Supply and Marketing Cooperative, where they punched and kicked her. When she cried for help, they dragged her behind the Erli Primary School wall and continued beating and stomping on her. One of the boys asked whether she was male or female; when she refused to answer, two of them pinned her wrists to the ground while the third pulled down her pants to look. They then took turns whipping her with their belts.

The violence continued for approximately one and a half hours. At one point, they inserted a rapeseed stalk into her vagina, causing severe internal injuries. Court records state that the assault lasted until around 1 a.m. on May 7.

Medical Findings

Forensic examination later determined that Li suffered a subarachnoid hemorrhage from blunt force, multiple rib fractures, and a vaginal and bladder rupture. The rupture led to peritonitis, hemorrhagic shock, and infection, ultimately causing respiratory and circulatory failure.

The Aftermath and Indifference

Despite the severity of her injuries, Li did not die immediately. Over the following three days, she sought help multiple times but was repeatedly turned away.

On the morning of May 7, a doctor at Erli Town Central Hospital found her wounded and groaning outside the hospital gate. When she begged for medicine, the doctor refused, saying he would wait for the police. The police were called but did not send an officer—instead, a driver without law enforcement qualifications was dispatched. He briefly questioned her and left without providing aid.

On May 7 and 8, the village party secretary, Liu Guodong, encountered Li twice. Rather than helping her, he arranged for a vehicle to transport her to the border of a neighboring county and abandon her on a remote mountain road.

On May 9, villagers who believed they had found a corpse reported the matter to police. Li was finally taken to the hospital, where she died at 7:40 a.m. on May 10.

Legal Proceedings

The three students were arrested within an hour of Li's death. In August 2003, the Hanzhong Intermediate People's Court held a closed-door trial because all three were minors. Before the trial, their families paid 37,000 yuan in compensation to Li's husband and children.

On September 17, 2003, the court sentenced Guo to nine years in prison and Zhang and Wang to eight years each for intentional injury causing death. The court acknowledged the cruelty of the crime but reduced the sentences because the defendants were under 18, their families had compensated the victim's family, and the fact that Li had not received timely medical treatment was considered a contributing factor.

Several local officials were also disciplined. The village party secretary who abandoned Li received party disciplinary action, and others faced penalties including demotion and dismissal.