“Thunder God” files a civil lawsuit seeking compensation of RMB 6 yuan from human traffickers Wang Haowen and others, and the court accepts the case.

On January 2nd, 2025, the Furong District Court of Changsha, Hunan issued a “Notice of Acceptance” stating that the court has accepted a personality dispute case filed by Lei Wuze and his wife against Wang Haowen and Hu Xiong.

In the civil complaint, Lei Wuze and his wife requested the court to order Wang Haowen and Hu Xiong to pay a total of 6 yuan in compensation, including 1 yuan for travel expenses, 1 yuan for lost wages, and 1 yuan for mental damages. In addition, they requested that Wang Haowen and Hu Xiong publicly apologize and repent to them.

According to previous reports by The Paper, Lei Wuze, who was known as “Thunder God” in the search community for his distinctive left eyebrow that stands upright, lost his son Chuan Chuan in 2001 when he was only 3 years old. In June 2023, Lei Wuze finally found Chuan Chuan. With Chuan Chuan’s return, the child trafficker Wang Haowen once again entered public view.

In early May 2024, the child trafficking case involving Wang Haowen and others was opened in a court in Nanchong. Evidence in the case shows that Wang Haowen started engaging in child kidnapping and trafficking activities in October 2001. He was sentenced to fixed-term imprisonment for kidnapping children in 2006 and continued to engage in child trafficking after being released from prison. He traveled across multiple cities and committed 14 crimes over a decade-long period, selling 14 children in total.

In June 2024, the Nanchong Intermediate Court sentenced Wang Haowen to death for child trafficking, stripping him of his lifelong political rights and confiscating all his personal property. He was also sentenced to an additional term of imprisonment for a previous conviction of child trafficking, resulting in a final decision of death penalty and deprivation of political rights for life, with all personal property confiscated. His girlfriend Wang Qiong was sentenced to three years and six months in prison, and Hu Xiong, Wang Haowen’s wife, was sentenced to three years in prison. The court also ordered the confiscation of Wang Haowen’s criminal proceeds of 199,900 yuan and turned them over to the state treasury.

During the first trial, Wang Haowen refused to admit guilt and did not recognize the kidnapping of Chuan Chuan and other children. After the verdict was announced, both Wang Haowen and Hu Xiong appealed the decision.

The second trial of this case was heard by the Sichuan High Court on November 28th, 2024. According to Lei Wuzhe, during the second trial, Wang Haowen only admitted to kidnapping three children and refused to acknowledge his involvement in kidnapping Chuan Chuan and eight other children.

Currently, the second trial has yet to be announced.

Lei Wuzhe told The Paper that as a parent of a kidnapped child, he has always wanted to file a civil lawsuit against Wang Haowen. Previously, due to the uniqueness of the case, the court suggested that they wait until the criminal case was concluded before filing a civil lawsuit. During the second trial of the criminal case, the judge asked Wang Haowen if he was willing to make civil compensation, to which Wang Haowen replied that he was willing to compensate for three cases that he admitted to but claimed he had no money. This angered the parents of the kidnapped children and made Lei Wuzhe consider filing a civil lawsuit against Wang Haowen.

In December 2024, Lei Wuzhe submitted his “Civil Complaint” to the Furong District Court in Changsha, where he is registered as a resident, claiming compensation of 6 yuan from Wang Haowen and Hu Xiong and requesting that they make a public apology. On January 2nd, 2025, the Furong District Court officially accepted the case.

Lei Wuzhe stated that he has spent a lot of time and money searching for his son for 22 years. Child traffickers not only bear criminal responsibilities but also civil responsibilities. His civil claim of six yuan is mainly to uphold justice and give an explanation to all abducted children and their parents. He believes that this civil lawsuit is not a waste of judicial resources but has great public value.