China executes primary school teacher who raped and sexually abused 26 of his pupils

China:   A primary school teacher who raped and sexually abused 26 of his pupils has been executed in China.

Li Jishun targeted "young and timid" girls aged 4 to 11 while teaching at a village school in Gansu province between 2011 and 2012.

A statement by the Supreme People's Court (SPC) said Li raped 21 of his victims and sexually abused the other five in classrooms, dormitories, and the forest surrounding the village near Wushan town, reports the BBC.

Some of Lishun's victims were raped more than once, though the statement did not explain how he was caught.

He was sentenced to death after the Gansu court decided he was a "grave threat to society".

It said: "The Supreme People's Court thus believes that it was appropriate for Li Jishun to be executed."

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The story made headlines in local media in the country and the decision to execute him received widespread support on social media.

Users of microblogging site Weibo said they were shocked for the young victims.

One wrote: "Four years old? I can't believe it."

Another said: "A death sentence is too good for this man."

The SPC says child sex abuse cases are on the rise in China, with over 7,000 cases reported in recent years.

It told local media that the courts heard 7,145 cases of child sexual abuse between 2012 and 2014 - a 40 per cent rise over that period.