Chinese police detained a suspect in the stabbing to death of three children at a kindergarten in eastern Shandong province, Xinhua News Agency reported, in the first such incident reported since Premier Wen Jiabao pledged in May to end school attacks.
Fang Jiantang, a self-employed 26-year-old, was detained within hours of the attack, Xinhua said. He admitted using a 60- centimeter long knife and police have found a weapon matching the description, Xinhua said. Three children died at the Zibo city kindergarten, while three others were taken to hospital. Four teachers were also taken to hospital, Xinhua said.
A series of attacks on schools that killed at least 15 children and staff in the first five months of this year sparked an outcry for greater security and led Wen to vow that the government would address the root causes of the assaults. Xu Yuyuan, a 47-year-old man who attacked 29 children and three teachers in Jiangsu province, was executed on May 30, a month after the assault.
“Placing police in each school and kindergarten isn’t sustainable, no country in the world has that kind of manpower,” said Willy Lam, adjunct professor of history at the Chinese University in Hong Kong. “If the government doesn’t provide channels to allow those who feel they’ve been treated unfairly to be heard or fight for their rights, we’ll see more terrible and unfortunate cases like this.”
