The retrial of the Yu Huaying child trafficking case begins today, with victims like Yang Niuhua in attendance.
At 9:30 AM today, the highly scrutinized Yu Huaying child trafficking case is set to resume within the Guiyang Intermediate People’s Court in Guizhou Province. Journalists noted that victims and their families, including Yang Niuhua, have come to participate in the proceedings.
The retrial began on October 11, where the prosecution increased the number of children Yu Huaying is accused of trafficking from 11 to 17.
A brief recap of the case: In 2004, Yu Huaying was apprehended in Yunnan during her criminal activities. Out of fear, she concealed her identity, posing as Zhang Yun. She was sentenced to eight years in prison, which was later reduced by three years, leading to her release in 2009.
In 2022, Yang Niuhua, a girl who had been abducted, reported the case to authorities, resulting in Yu’s re-arrest, as her crimes continued to unfold.
On September 18, 2023, the Guiyang Intermediate Court found Yu guilty of child trafficking, describing her actions as particularly egregious and impactful. The court sentenced her to death and stripped her of her political rights for life.
On November 28, 2023, the case moved to the Guizhou Provincial High Court for its second round of hearings.
On January 8, 2024, the High Court ruled to send the case back for retrial, noting that the initial trial overlooked critical facts regarding Yu Huaying’s other child trafficking offenses, and many aspects of the case remained unclear. To ensure that all facts surrounding the appellant Yu Huaying’s crimes were thoroughly examined, the retrial was mandated.
During the retrial on October 11, 2024, the prosecution suggested that Yu should again face the death penalty.
(Reported by CCTV’s Xin Yu and Shi Chaojie)
