Reports from local media indicate that authorities in the northern Chinese city of Handan have detained three teenage boys in connection with the brutal death of their classmate, a 13-year-old boy identified only by his surname, Wang.

The discovery of Wang’s remains, found buried in an abandoned vegetable garden, has triggered widespread anger and heated discussions surrounding juvenile crime.

According to the victim’s father, Wang had been subjected to bullying at school.

State-run Global Times reported that police are treating the case as an intentional homicide.

All three detained teenagers are below the age of 14. Under Chinese law, individuals aged between 12 and 14 can only be criminally prosecuted with approval from the Supreme People’s Procuratorate, the country’s highest public prosecutor.

The victim and his classmates are categorized as “left-behind children,” a term referring to children in China who reside with their grandparents in rural areas while their parents work in urban areas.

The case has sparked widespread sorrow and outrage on social media platforms such as Weibo and Douyin, with tens of thousands of posts flooding in over the weekend.

Users are expressing their concerns and hopes for justice, with one commentator stating, “The entire nation is following this case closely, hoping that the authorities will conduct a fair investigation and provide the victim’s family with a satisfactory resolution.” This comment garnered over 50,000 likes.

Despite the suspects’ young age, many commenters are advocating for severe punishment.

According to the victim’s father, in a video shared on Douyin, the boy was last seen in the afternoon of 10th March. The local authorities have indicated that the boy likely perished on the same day.

The father shared further details, stating, “My child was still active and lively around 3:00 pm on 10th March… All of his money was transferred from his phone at 4:10 pm, after which his phone was switched off.”

Prior to his demise, the boy transferred 191 yuan ($17; £13) to one of his three classmates, as revealed by the father in an interview with The Beijing News.

The family’s lawyer, Zang Fanqing, disclosed on Weibo on Monday that the boy had been subjected to long-term bullying by his three classmates.

Following questioning by authorities, the three teenagers eventually led police to the location where the boy’s body was buried, despite initially denying any knowledge of its whereabouts.

As investigations continue, authorities are working to ascertain the motive behind the killing, as reported by The Beijing News.