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A VAN driver who hit and killed a two-year-old girl in an accident that shamed China has been sentenced to three-and-a-half years for manslaughter.
Hu Jun, 25, was spared a harsher sentence because he had come forward to confess to the crime and paid a portion of the girl's medical bills before she died.
The court in the southern Chinese city of Foshan also said the narrow lane in the covered market where the accident occurred was not subject to same law as a public road.
The death of the toddler, nicknamed Little Yueyue, by her parents, provoked a spell of national soul-searching after security cameras showed at least 18 people walk past her prone body without stopping to help.
One by one, the girl was ignored by passers-by. A cyclist was recorded wobbling slightly to avoid her body and then pedalling on. One of the pedestrians clearly spotted the girl, but gave her a wide berth.
Finally, the 19th person, a female rubbish collector, finally picked her up, moved her to the curb and began to shout for her parents.
At the time, the security footage went viral, and more than 4.5 million people left their comments on the internet. Many pointed out that bystanders are often scared of stepping forward, in case they are sued by the victims.
In response, Guangdong province, where Foshan is located, has submitted a draft law to China's National People's Congress to protect good samaritans from being held accountable.
By Malcolm Moore Telegraph.co.uk
