Two officials were punished by the government in Central China's Henan province after an 11-year-old boy was beaten to death by his employer this month.

The boy, surnamed Du, died after he was beaten by his employer surnamed Wang, an owner of a steamed bun shop in the Xigong district of Luoyang city on the night of Dec 6. Wang suspected the boy of stealing money, according to the police.

The case ignited public anger on the Internet, with people criticizing the local government for failing to prohibit shop owners from hiring teenagers.

The government responded to the criticism by punishing two officials responsible — Yang Zongchao, deputy director of Xigong district's working supervision division, was issued with an administrative demerit and Sun Chunlin, deputy director of Xigong district's human resources and social security bureau, was issued with a warning, the Xinhua News Agency reported on Thursday.

The Luoyang city's human resources and social security authorities have started a thorough check on local restaurants and shops to prevent similar tragedies, said the report.

The civil affairs department in the boy's hometown will compensate his family members, said the report.