Gao Pan was executed for a crime committed in 2001, possibly before he was 18 years old.

Gao Pan was executed for a crime committed in 2001, possibly before he was 18 years old. Conflicting information on official documents and the use of different calendar systems had lead to confusion over his true age. In an attempt to prove that Gao was 18 at the time of the crime, the state prosecutor provided a household registration document signed by Gao’s grandfather that on further examination was reportedly proven false. Hebei Province High People’s Court meanwhile rejected 32 items of evidence provided by Gao’s lawyer supporting the claim that he was not 18 at the time of the crime. The court also rejected a request made by Gao’s family to carry out a medical check that might have helped to clarify his age.