Photo:Xinhua

The Higher People's Court of southwest China's Yunnan Province Monday decided to execute Sun Xiaoguo for multiple crimes, deprive him of his political rights, and confiscate all of his assets.

The court announced the decision in a verdict for the retrial of Sun for rape, insulting women by forcible means, intentionally inflicting injury upon others and creating disturbances.

The verdict decided to uphold the death penalty handed down to him in 1998 for the same crimes during the first instance and revoke the verdict for retrial in 2007 and that for the second instance in 1999.

In a separate trial, Sun was handed a 25-year prison term earlier this year for committing multiple crimes including organizing and leading mafia-like organizations between 2013 and 2018.

The earlier sentence has already come into effect, and the penalty imposed shall be executed in combination with the penalty determined in Monday's verdict, according to the court, noting that as a result, it was decided that Sun shall be executed, deprived of political rights for life, and all his personal property shall be confiscated.

According to the court, in 1997, Sun raped three girls under 18 years old with violent and coercive means and attempted to rape a girl under 14 years old. Also in 1997, Sun and his accomplices seized two 17-year-old girls by force in public, injuring and insulting them.

Sun received 20 years of imprisonment after the 2007 retrial. He was released in 2010 after several reductions in his sentence, serving only 12 years and five months in prison.

In July this year, the court decided that the verdict in 2007 was incorrect and the case should be reheard.

Sun's death sentence will be submitted to the Supreme People's Court for approval in accordance with the law.

Over the past 20 years or so, Sun has committed multiple crimes but has not received due legal penalties. "Related criminal facts and judicial corruption involved are shocking, which seriously challenged the bottom line of the general public and the law," the court said in a statement.

The thorough investigation into Sun's case and "protective umbrellas" that shelter his crimes shows the judicial organs' courage to face up to the problems, correct mistakes and safeguard the credibility of the judiciary, it added.