Murder And Theft

摘要

A chinese man who killed six un-armed police officers in Shanghai can hardly be surprised to find himself on death row. But he might be taken aback by the popular sympathy for his plight. So might the authorities: the case has become an embarrassment.rnOn October 20th Shanghai's high court upheld the death sentence imposed in September on Yang Jia, an unemployed 28-year-old from Beijing. China's Supreme Court is now deciding whether the execution-normally with a bullet through the back of the head-should go ahead. Officials say that in the first half of this year it overturned 15% of death sentences. But police-killers are unlikely candidates for reprieve.rnEven for less egregious crimes public support for the death penalty is widespread, as China often points out when justifying its frequent use of executions (more than the rest of the world combined). But contempt for the police is just as common.