Zurich court jails Chinese student 15 years
SingTao · 2 SOURCESabout 3 hours ago2 MIN
Summary
A Zurich district court has sentenced a 25-year-old Chinese student, identified in reports as Fan, to 15 years in prison after convicting him of multiple counts of attempted murder over a knife attack on three five-year-old children in Oerlikon, Zurich, on October 1, 2024.
The children were walking to a daycare centre when he allegedly rushed at them with a knife and stabbed them, leaving three seriously injured before a female daycare worker and passers-by stopped him at the scene.
The court accepted the prosecution's case that the attack was premeditated, citing online searches about legal consequences and preparations that prosecutors said stretched over two months.
The defence argued that the defendant may have been in an acute mental disorder or severe depression and lacked full criminal responsibility, but the court did not accept that position.
Key Points
- The attack happened in Zurich's Oerlikon district on October 1, 2024, and targeted three five-year-old children on their way to daycare.
- SingTao reported the defendant was studying for a master's degree in computational linguistics at the University of Zurich before the attack.
- Prosecutors said he researched knife crime penalties, children's schedules and locations in Zurich, anatomy and blood vessels, and bought a knife.
- SingTao said he also bought steak to practise stabbing motions and had spent about two months preparing the assault.
- The judge ordered psychological treatment during imprisonment and expulsion after release, with a 15-year re-entry ban; the defendant plans to appeal.
Why It Matters
For Hong Kong readers, the case is a stark example of how overseas student incidents can quickly become major cross-border public safety and legal stories involving criminal punishment, mental health arguments and immigration consequences.
It also shows that courts may distinguish sharply between psychiatric claims and evidence of planning when deciding criminal responsibility in violent attacks on children.