Man executed for raping 24 middle school girls

A 63-year-old official who raped 24 middle school girls was executed by lethal injection Thursday afternoon in Nanyang, Henan province.

Wu Tianxi, former vice chairman of the Zhenping county committee of Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, received the lethal injection and a fine of 500,000 yuan ($73,160) following his conviction for seven crimes, including organizing mafias and rape.

Between 2005 and 2007, Wu hired women to go to local middle schools in Zhenping county to cheat, threaten and force 24 girls to come to his office or hotel room and have sex with him, according to Nanyang Intermediate People's Court. The girls were from 12 to 16 years old, and six of them were younger than 14.