October 27, 1977 - Sun Xiaoguo
Sun Xiaoguo's case became a landmark in Chinese public discourse not only for the severity of his crimes but for the years he spent avoiding accountability — a pattern enabled, investigators later found, by corruption within the local justice system. His eventual execution in 2020 followed a public outcry over the original leniency of his sentencing, which had allowed him to remain free and continue offending. The case prompted national debate about judicial integrity and the protection of children from those who exploit positions of community influence.
From Wikipedia
Sun Xiaoguo (born Chen Guo and also known by his alias Li Linchen; 27 October 1977 – 20 February 2020), was a serial child rapist and gang leader from Kunming, China. He was known for the brutality of his crimes as well as his evasion of justice. Sun was originally sentenced to death in 1998, but his sentence was commuted to 20 years imprisonment due to corruption within the court system. He was released in 2010 after only serving for 12 years and 5 months and continued participating in organised crime under the alias "Li Linchen". During a crackdown on organised crime in 2018, Sun was arrested on charges of leading an organised criminal gang. When Sun's name appeared in the list of criminal gangs, his case attracted the attention of the media, as he had been sentenced to death 21 years prior. Sun's brutal methods stunned the investigating staff, and the phrase "[Deng] Xiaoping rules the day, [Sun] Xiaoguo rules the night" spread in Kunming. Sun was executed on 20 February 2020 by lethal injection.
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