A couple in Baoding, North China's Hebei province, will not be prosecuted for killing their daughter's harasser during an attack in July, according to local procuratorate authorities.

"Their behavior belongs to justifiable defense and they will not bear criminal responsibilities," said a statement released by Baoding People's Procuratorate on Sunday.

This decision was made to help curb illegal harmful acts, guarantee the legitimate rights and interests of citizens, and protect the safety of citizens' homes, the statement said.

Wang Xinyuan, 53, and Zhao Yinzhi, 54, were detained in July for killing Wang Lei, a man who invaded their home in Laiyuan county and confronted them with a baton and two knives, said the statement.

Their daughter, a university student who was involved in the confrontation, had been put on bail pending trial. The bail was withdrawn last month after authorities judged her behavior as justifiable defense.

The incident stemmed from the daughter's rejection of Wang Lei.

The two met in January at a restaurant in Beijing, where the daughter, who has not been named, worked with her mother during winter vacation.

Wang Lei frequently harassed and threatened the daughter and her family, both at their family home and at the daughter's university, the statement said.

Wang Lei attacked the daughter and her parents on July 11 and was wounded in the confrontation that followed with a kitchen knife, wooden stick and spade.

"The man had tried to get up twice after he fell to the ground. The couple continued to strike him until he could not move," the statement said, adding that the three family members waited at home until police, whom the daughter had called, arrived.

The parents were arrested in August on suspicion of intentional homicide, sparking online debate, with many defending the couple's actions.

"I can't accept that they were detained because they had done nothing wrong to protect themselves," Weibo user Jianzhang2019_30189 said.

Source: CHINA DAILY