After toddler's death, Good Samaritan rules drafted in China
Wang Yue, 2, is treated at a hospital in China in October after being hit by two cars. She later died.
November 30th, 2011
08:02 PM ET

After toddler's death, Good Samaritan rules drafted in China

Good Samaritan guidelines drafted in a China province aim to make it easier for bystanders to come to the aid of the distressed, the China Daily reports.

The rules are expected to encourage citizens who are inclined to assist people in need and stifle fears of litigation. Public opinions were being solicited Tuesday in the Shenzhen special economic zone in China’s Guangdong province, the paper said.

“Finally, we are reassured to help others without taking a picture or shooting a video to record the scene first,” a public servant surnamed Hu was quoted as saying.

The state-sponsored initiative comes one month after a Guangdong toddler died in a double hit-and-run accident in which 18 people passed by her and did not stop to help.

The seeming apathy of pedestrians, cyclists and drivers who saw 2-year-old Wang Yue motionless in the street for 10 minutes shocked the nation.

The girl, nicknamed Yueyue, was finally moved to safety by Chen Xianmei, a 58-year-old woman who collects trash for a living. She reportedly faced threats and ridicule from people saying that she only saved the girl to garner national attention.

But the incident, captured on video by a security camera and posted online, spawned outrage and debate across the world while prompting widespread soul-searching in China about the state of the nation's morality.

The newly drafted regulations, originally reported in the Guangzhou Daily, state that Good Samaritans generally won’t be liable for unfortunate consequences that result from their actions except in cases of gross negligence. If the distressed try to hold those who came to their aid accountable for injuries or damages or falsely accuse them, the claimants can face fines and detainment.

Witnesses who can testify in favor of Good Samaritans are eligible for reward from a local public security fund, the paper reported.

"I am very happy that this regulation has come out. People have been hoping for it for a long time," said Professor Tan Fang of South China Normal University, according to the Guardian newspaper.

"I hope Shenzhen can strictly enforce the regulation. I also hope the regulation will be adopted by more provinces and become a national law."

Meanwhile, China's state-run Xinhua News Agency launched a poll Wednesday allowing readers to vote for 2011's most touching good deeds.

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Filed under: China • World
soundoff (64 Responses)
  1. Herkimer Schwartz

    But back to the subject for a minute. Isn't it damn shame that world opinion has to force China to do something like this ? Personally If I saw something like that, I would have reacted before I had a chance to think about it.

    November 30, 2011 at 11:52 pm | Report abuse |
  2. Ripley! Believe it or dont!

    We posted at the same time earlier so i didnt see it, and this old phone is gettin slower and slower! Much like me!

    November 30, 2011 at 11:55 pm | Report abuse |
  3. Herkimer Schwartz

    I would talk about how things slow down when you start getting old, but I sure don't have room to talk. ha ha

    November 30, 2011 at 11:58 pm | Report abuse |
  4. Ripley! Believe it or dont!

    Lol Herk, i am gettin old! And the real tragedy concerning this law is they have to be compensated?? W t f??

    December 1, 2011 at 12:02 am | Report abuse |
  5. Herkimer Schwartz

    I know. That's crazy right ? If I were compensated for every time I assisted someone in need, I would be in that 1 % group the OWS is protesting against.

    December 1, 2011 at 12:08 am | Report abuse |
  6. Ripley! Believe it or dont!

    Lmmfao thats what i was thinkin!

    December 1, 2011 at 12:24 am | Report abuse |
  7. Ripley! Believe it or dont!

    Our reward comes from within...And afterlife! 🙂 seriously tho i gotta sign off, gotta be up early! Hold down the fort, looks like Nightshade passed out!

    December 1, 2011 at 12:29 am | Report abuse |
  8. Herkimer Schwartz

    People just don't seem to do the right thing anymore. It truly makes me sad for Humanity. But at least I know there some people who still care, even if they are few and far between.

    December 1, 2011 at 12:30 am | Report abuse |
  9. Herkimer Schwartz

    Ripley, I hate to do it, but it's time for me to head to the house. I really enjoyed talking with you. I'll catch you tomorrow.

    December 1, 2011 at 12:34 am | Report abuse |
  10. Thelma Lou Brickmore

    Kyle is mistaken; this is not an urban myth as clearly shown by the video of that girl being run over.
    The reason was as stated above: that the laws were constructed in such a way that a good samaritan helping someone could be held liable for medical bills and punitive damages.
    With such laws in place, no wonder nobody would help that girl.
    Who would ever do anything good and decent again, knowing that financial ruin would be the result?
    As for the Kitty Genovese murder, that's no myth either, but in this case, apathy *was* the cause.
    This happens in the US a fair bit; especially the neighborhoods that are violence prone.

    December 1, 2011 at 7:09 am | Report abuse |
  11. fernace

    Apathy is not a Chinese monopoly, it's alive & well all over the world! Right here in the "best country in the world" people are mugged, assaulted & looking for help but finding none! I have stories to tell so look for my book on the subject "How 2 Cultivate Apathy In A Pathetic World." Should be an interesting read & funny too!!

    December 1, 2011 at 10:46 am | Report abuse |
  12. Mike Smithee

    The real Communist China:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UWLvrErGKRY

    December 3, 2011 at 6:38 pm | Report abuse |
  13. Mike Smithee

    The real Communist China:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zbDSOmTWU7U

    December 3, 2011 at 6:39 pm | Report abuse |
  14. Mike Smithee

    The real Communist China:

    – human rights abuse

    http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/asset/ASA17/042/2011/en/eadc54a7-9d5e-4564-8d03-41142627bad7/asa170422011en.html

    – corruption

    http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2011/06/in-china-corruption-and-unrest-threaten-autocratic-rule/241128/

    – torture

    http://www.christiannewswire.com/news/740318128.html

    – censorship

    http://global.christianpost.com/news/beijing-tightens-restrictions-on-social-media-59489/

    – organ harvesting

    http://www.lifesitenews.com/news/archive/ldn/2006/apr/06042805

    – fake IPhone stores

    http://money.msn.com/top-stocks/post.aspx?post=22bddd8a-2aa3-4453-a05b-7a34057f0b24

    – unsafe trains

    http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2011-07-23-China-Train-Crash_n.htm

    – tainted milk

    http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/7624498.stm

    – unsafe schools

    http://uk.reuters.com/article/2008/12/26/uk-china-schools-idUKTRE4BP0ET20081226

    – deaths through forced abortion

    http://www.womensrightswithoutfrontiers.org/blog/?p=429

    – toddlers being run over

    http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/headlines/2011/10/yueyue-chinese-toddler-run-over-in-street-and-ignored-dies/

    http://global.christianpost.com/news/another-china-toddler-killed-as-driver-runs-over-5-year-old-twice-to-avoid-hospital-fees-59367/

    http://www.theweek.co.uk/world-news/35619/chinese-trucker-%E2%80%98reversed-over-boy-ensure-he-died%E2%80%99

    December 3, 2011 at 6:42 pm | Report abuse |
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