State comes to crime victims' help with funds

Chinese judicial departments are piloting a State compensation system in more than 10 provinces to help crime victims and their dependants in a bid to extend it across the country.

Supreme People's Court (SPC) sources have said courts in 10 provinces such as Shandong, Zhejiang, Hubei and Guangdong sanctioned 7.8 million yuan ($1 million) in relief funds to 378 victims and their families last year. More courts are likely to join the pilot project this year.

One of the beneficiaries is 67-year-old Li Zejie of East China's Shandong Province. Li, whose only son was stabbed to death last April, was supposed to get 160,000 yuan ($21,225) as compensation from the murderer.