Boy in China, 5, allegedly beaten to death by mother & her boyfriend for sleeping late

A five-year-old boy from Weihai city in Shandong, China was allegedly beaten to death by his mother and her boyfriend because he had been sleeping late.

The boy died of his injuries after the pair brought him to the hospital in March 2024, and was found to have suffered repeated blunt force trauma to the chest and abdomen.

The boy's mother and her boyfriend were detained by police and charged over the boy's death at the Weihai Intermediate People's Court in Shandong on Mar. 25, Chinese media reported.

Said they should beat him as he slept late

After the boy's parents divorced, he lived with his mother Chen and her boyfriend Shi in Wendeng district in Weihai, according to Chinese broadcaster CCTV.

Chen was a kindergarten teacher at the time, according to China Newsweek.

Based on charge sheets provided by the boy's grandfather, four days before the boy's death, Chen and Shi had said over WeChat that the boy slept too late at night, and discussed how to discipline him.

Shi suggested they should "give him a good beating", and Chen agreed.

The two then allegedly hit the boy on his face, chest and abdomen multiple times.

Boy died of injuries in hospital

On Mar. 26, 2024, the duo brought the boy to the hospital as he was in a bad state.

However, he died from his injuries there.

At 11:13pm that night, Wendeng authorities were alerted to a suspected case of abnormal death of a five-year-old boy.

Chen and Shi were detained for investigations.

The child was found to have died from a liver rupture and extensive internal bleeding, as a result of repeated blunt force trauma to the chest and abdomen.

The case was then brought before prosecutors.

Charged in court

On Mar. 25, Shi was charged in court with intentional homicide, Beijing News reported.

Chen was charged with causing intentional injury and illegally opening a casino. She is also embroiled in ancillary civil lawsuits.

The boy's grandfather told Beijing News that Chen initially asked for the death penalty in court, but later changed her mind.

According to him, Chen said, "If you don't sentence me to death, let me be released early so I can pay this debt."

The case is still before the courts.

Top image from Weibo.