ZHENGZHOU - The man who injured 23 pupils and two other people with a knife in Central China's Henan province last month suffers from mental illness, prosecutors confirmed on Monday.

Results of the appraisal made by the Wuhan Psychiatric Hospital in Hubei province confirmed Min Yongjun, a 36-year-old resident of Guangshan county, had a mental disorder, a source with the Guangshan County People's Procuratorate told Xinhua.

On Dec 14, Min burst into the home of an elderly woman and stabbed her with a kitchen knife. He then went to Chenpeng Village Elementary School and stabbed 23 students as they arrived for class.

Min was arrested on a charge of jeopardizing public security two days after the attack.

Penalties for suspects who suffer mental disease might be lightened under China's criminal law.