On December 27, 2023, the Intermediate People's Court of Liaocheng City, Shandong Province publicly pronounced the verdict on the child abduction and trafficking case of the defendants Hufuji and Tang Lixia in accordance with the law. The defendant Hufuji was sentenced to death f

On December 27, 2023, the Intermediate People's Court of Liaocheng City, Shandong Province publicly pronounced the verdict on the child abduction and trafficking case of the defendants Hu Fuji and Tang Lixia in accordance with the law. The defendant Hu Fuji was sentenced to death for the crime of child abduction, with a two-year suspended execution, and deprived of political rights for life. The defendant Hufuji was also sentenced to confiscation of all personal property, and defendant Hufuji was subject to a reduced sentence; defendant Tang Lixia was sentenced to life imprisonment for child trafficking, deprived of political rights for life, and all personal property was confiscated; defendants Hufuji and Tang Lixia were also ordered to jointly compensate incidental damages The plaintiff in the civil lawsuit suffered material losses of more than RMB 500,000.

The court found that between 1997 and 1998, the defendants Hu Fuji and Tang Lixia abducted four children, Li Mouhui, Guo Mouzhen, Yang Mouhao and Li Mouhao, for the purpose of selling. In 2001, the defendant Hu Fuji and others abducted the child Yang Mouyu for the purpose of selling. The defendants Hu Fuji and Tang Lixia jointly abducted and trafficked four children for the purpose of selling. Hu Fuji and others abducted one child for the purpose of selling. Both of their actions constituted the crime of child abduction. The court made the above judgment based on the facts, nature and circumstances of the two defendants' crimes.

Case review

According to previous media reports, on September 21, 1997, Guo Xinzhen (also known as Guo Zhen), the two-year-old son of Guo Gangtang and his wife in Liaocheng, Shandong, was taken away from the door of their home and his whereabouts are unknown. Over the next 20 years, Guo Gangtang rode more than 500,000 kilometers to dozens of provinces and scrapped 10 motorcycles in search of his son.

Data map: Guo Gangtang. Source: cfp Vision China

In 2015, the "anti-trafficking" theme movie "Orphans" was released, attracting attention from the outside world to families looking for relatives. In the movie, the prototype of the father looking for a son played by Andy Lau is Guo Gangtang.

In July 2021, Guo Xinzhen, who had been kidnapped for 24 years, was successfully found. On July 11, the public security organs of Shandong and Henan held family recognition ceremonies for Guo Gangtang and Guo Xinzhen's family in Liaocheng, Shandong Province. The family, which had been separated for 24 years, was finally reunited.

The full picture of the abduction case of Guo Gangtang’s son. Video source: Criminal Investigation Bureau of the Ministry of Public Security

On July 13, 2021, the Ministry of Public Security held a press conference to disclose the investigation of the case. According to reports, the technical comparison team of the Ministry of Public Security issued an order after discovering clues. The public security agencies in Shandong, Henan, Shanxi and other places worked closely together and worked hard to successfully recover Guo Xinzhen, the prototype of the abducted child in the movie "Orphan", and smoothly Through front-line investigation, two criminal suspects, a man and a woman, were captured who abducted and trafficked Guo Xinzhen. According to the confessions of the suspects Hu and Tang, the two were lovers in 1997. After the two abducted Guo Xinzhen, they returned to Henan, and later Hu Mou sold Guo Xinzhen.

It is worth noting that Hu is from Linzhou City, Henan Province. When the police targeted Hu, they found that he was detained in a detention center in Shanxi for other cases. According to the cover news report, Hu was suspected of participating in three child abduction cases. He was also sentenced to three years in prison for theft in 1988 and eight months in 1996 for extortion.

On the morning of March 19, 2023, Guo Gangtang held a wedding for his son Guo Xinzhen in Liaocheng, Shandong. Many family members seeking relatives, including Sun Haiyang, Li Fang, Li Fangfu, etc. sang Andy Lau's song "Today". Andy Lau also appointed a Hong Kong director to send blessings.

On July 5, 2023, Guo Gangtang revealed that the first trial of his son Guo Xinzhen’s abduction case was held on July 7 in the Intermediate People’s Court of Liaocheng City, Shandong Province. Guo Gangtang said that he will participate in the trial and hopes that the traffickers will be severely punished.

Data map: Photo of Guo Xinzhen (Guo Zhen). Source: cfp Vision China

On July 7, 2023, the Intermediate People’s Court of Liaocheng City, Shandong Province held a first instance public hearing in accordance with the law in the child abduction and trafficking case of the defendants Hu Fuji and Tang Lixia. The People's Procuratorate of Liaocheng City, Shandong Province accused: From 1997 to 1998, the defendants Hu Fuji and Tang Lixia abducted four children including Guo for the purpose of betrayal; in 2001, Hu Fuji collaborated with others (handled in a separate case) for the purpose of betrayal. For the purpose of abducting a child, two persons should be held criminally responsible for the crime of child abduction. The case will be pronounced at a later date.

On July 7, some media and people gathered in front of the Liaocheng Intermediate People’s Court.Photo by Mei Han