In March 2012, Lian Enqing underwent nasal surgery for breathing difficulties but saw no improvement months after discharge, despite normal test results. Believing the hospital falsified records, Lian repeatedly complained about his treatment, eventually plotting to kill a doctor.
On October 25, 2013, Lian went to the hospital with a hammer and knife. He attacked Dr. Wang, who had mediated his complaints, striking him on the head with a hammer and stabbing him multiple times in the chest and abdomen. Another doctor who tried to intervene was injured. Lian then sought Dr. Cai, who performed his surgery, but left after finding his room locked. Mistaking Jiang for Dr. Lin, another doctor involved in his care, Lian stabbed Jiang three times before realising his error. He was apprehended shortly after. Dr. Wang died, Jiang was seriously injured.
In January 2014, Lian was sentenced to death and failed in the appeal. During his trials, the defense argued he was mentally ill, but the court accepted the prosecution’s mental health assessment, concluding he had full criminal responsibility. The Supreme People’s Court approved the death sentence in April 2015, and Lian was executed in May after a 15-minutes meeting with his family.
This case, occurring amid rising medical disputes in China, drew national attention. On the incident day, authorities called for harsh penalties for violence against medical personnel. Hundreds of doctors protested, increasing pressure on local officials. In 2014, Supreme Court and Procuratorate issued strict guidelines to address crimes against medical staff, including publishing similar guiding cases. Before the first-instance verdict, the Premier of the State Council issued a directive citing this case to urge all departments to tackle violence from medical disputes. Later in 2017 and 2020, the Supreme People’s Court announced guiding cases and emphasised a zero-tolerance stance toward such violence.