Sichuan court upholds ruling in fatal stabbing case

On Tuesday, the Sichuan High People's Court rejected the appeal of a woman sentenced to death with a two-year reprieve for fatally stabbing a female neighbor outside her apartment in Chengdu's Pidu district in 2024, upholding the original ruling, Xinhua News Agency reported.

According to court findings, the defendant, surnamed Liang, had a history of disturbing neighbors. On the night of the attack, Liang knocked on Wang's door and spit in front of the door. When community security personnel arrived to handle the situation, Wang opened the door to confront Liang. When the two scuffled, Liang used a knife to stab Wang multiple times in the chest and head. Wang later died from acute blood loss.

The Chengdu Intermediate People's Court handed down the initial sentence in December 2025, which included lifelong deprivation of Liang's political rights, according to a post from the intermediate court on December 20.

During the initial trial, Liang consistently denied having a mental illness and claimed that her behavior was "legitimate defense" and that carrying a knife with her was for her protection.

However, the court said Liang's behavior constituted a crime of intentional homicide and should be severely punished, clarifying that her actions did not constitute self-defense.

A forensic psychiatric evaluation indicated that Liang had schizophrenia and was deemed to have only limited criminal responsibility at the time of the offense — a factor that allowed for a reduced penalty under the law.