Henan man files for compensation over wrongful detention

Wu Chunhong, a villager from Henan province who had his name cleared in April due to insufficient evidence to prove his conviction of intentional homicide, applied for more than 18.72 million yuan ($2.64 million) in compensation to the Henan High People's Court on Tuesday.

The court has accepted the application, which includes 9.73 million yuan for Wu's wrongful detention and 5 million yuan for his mental anguish, according to Wu's daughter.

Wu Chunhong also asked for 4 million yuan to cover his medical fees and economic losses caused by the wrongful conviction, Wu Lili, the daughter, told media.

"My father also hoped judicial officials who solved the case give a public apology to remove the reputational damage brought by a miscarriage of justice," she added.

On April 1, more than 15 years after Wu Chunhong was wrongly detained, the court overturned the original ruling in which Wu was sentenced to life in prison, and announced Wu, now 50, innocent, "as the chain of evidence in his case was not complete to prove his conviction".

On Nov 15, 2004, a 3-year-old boy in Shangqiu, Henan province, died after eating homemade food containing poisoned flour. His elder brother fell ill and was admitted to hospital but recovered. Seven days later, Wu was named as the suspect.

A year later, Wu was given a suspended death sentence for intentional homicide by the Shangqiu Intermediate People's Court, but the Henan High People's Court ordered a retrial after Wu appealed.

Over the next three years, the intermediate people's court handed down the same sentence to Wu twice, with the high people's court rejecting both results and sending the case back to the lower court each time.

In 2008 Wu was sentenced to life in prison, with the high people's court upholding that verdict.

After frequent appeals from Wu's family, the Supreme People's Court, China's top court, demanded the Henan High People's Court retry the case after reviewing appeal materials. The rehearing was held in 2019.