Legal lenience brings back 'dream life'

A former prisoner is returning to normality thanks to his new family and a measured approach. Cao Yin reports

Six years ago, Yu Huan lost his life as an "ordinary" person after he was involved in a high-profile criminal case.

Now, the recently married father-to-be is returning to the "ordinary life" he longed for in prison. To Yu, this means a home to return to after work every evening, where he can share his day's experiences with his family.

The 27-year-old, from Guanxian county, Liaocheng city, Shandong province, was willing to talk about his case because "I made that mistake, and I have to admit it and accept the consequences".

In February 2017, a court in Liaocheng sentenced Yu to life imprisonment after he was found guilty of stabbing four debt collectors in 2016, killing one and injuring the others.

However, he appealed to a higher court, saying that he had acted to protect himself and his mother, Su Yinxia, after the men forcibly detained them.

When the life sentence was posted online, it sparked a public outcry, with many netizens questioning the severity of the punishment and asking if Yu's behavior was justified as an act of self-defense.