CHINA - A law student who stabbed his university professor to death in October may face charges of intentional homicide when the prosecution files its case next month, the Beijing News reported yesterday.

Fu Chengli, 22, a fourth-year student of international relations at the capital's China University of Political Science and Law, told the police he killed his professor Cheng Chunming because he was undeserving to be a teacher.

"The case is still under investigation. But it is expected the prosecution will file a case of intentional homicide next month," a spokeswoman of the First Branch of People's Procuratorate of Beijing Municipality was quoted as saying.

On the evening of Oct 28, Fu burst into professor Cheng's classroom and stabbed him to death before calling the police and surrendering.

Fu later told the police that professor Cheng, 43, had an affair with his girlfriend, which is why he did not deserve to be a teacher.

But neither the police nor the university has verified the allegation as yet.

"As a professor, he should have been a role model for us. But what he did was immoral and totally out of line," Fu was quoted as having said by the newspaper earlier.

Fu said he did not regret killing Cheng, and intended his act to be a warning to other teachers physically involved with their students.

After the incident, university officials formed a team of psychiatrists to help students who witnessed the gruesome murder.

Zhang Bo, one of the two lawyers hired by Fu's parents to defend their son, said the parents had applied for Fu's psychiatric assessment.

"But the court has not responded to the request yet," he said.

Zhang said it was "impossible to defend Fu as not guilty" as there were no doubts in the fact that Fu murdered professor Cheng. "As a law school student, he should be well aware of the consequences of what he has done," the lawyer said.

China Daily/Asia News Network