Chinese teen jailed for setting girl ablaze

Beijing, May 10 (IANS) A 17-year-old Chinese boy was Thursday sentenced to 12 years in jail for setting fire to a girl who turned down his romantic advances.

The accused teenager, surnamed Tao, was convicted of intentional assault after he disfigured his girl schoolmate, surnamed Zhou, in Hefei, capital of Anhui province, Xinhua reported.

The boy went to the victim's home in September last year, poured gasoline on her face and ignited it with a lighter. Her aunt heard screams and came to the girl's rescue, put the fire out and rushed her to hospital. The boy was arrested the next day.

The girl's left ear was mutilated and most of her face was disfigured. Her neck and left hand were also injured.

The victim's mother posted gruesome details of the assault online, including photos of her daughter's bandage-wrapped face.