Henan official executed for raping 24 underage girls

A former political advisor of Zhenping county, Nanyang city, in Central China's Henan province was executed by lethal injection Thursday afternoon, chinanews.com.cn reported yesterday.

Henan official executed for raping 24 underage girls

Wu Tianxi, former vice chairman of the Zhenping County People's Political and Consultative Conference, is seen here before he is executed by leathal injection by the Nanyang Intermediate People's Court in Nanyang city, Central China's Henan province, August 13, 2009.

Sixty-two-year-old Wu Tianxi, the former vice chairman of the Zhenping County People's Political and Consultative Conference, had been sentenced to death by the Nanyang Intermediate People's Court in December 2007 for raping 24 underage girls in less than two years.

Wu was also found guilty of committing six other crimes, including illegally transferring and selling land-use rights, illegally taking savings of the public, extortion, creating public disturbances, and organizing and running a crime syndicate.

Wu reportedly ordered three women to kidnap the girls, aged from 12 to 16, and take them to his office or hotels, where he raped them.

He appealed to Henan Higher People's Court but the court dismissed his appeal in July 2008. The Chinese Supreme People's Court then approved Wu's death penalty verdict.