The Panyu district prosecutor’s office gave two reasons yesterday to justify its decision not to accept the case against the father and stepmother who kept their 7-year-old girl starving and locked out on the patio for several months until she escaped in early July. The Panyu district Procuratorate said that the couple’s behavior does not constitute mistreatment, and that only cases brought through by police can go to trial.

The Panyu Procuratorate office said that if the Guangzhou Country Garden child protection organization, the would-be plaintiffs, don’t like their decision, they can try taking the case to the provincial court. The girl’s father failed to appear at a custody ruling in a Hong Kong court last week, following which the judge extended temporary custody to the girl’s biological mother for another four months, after which a ruling will be made.

PRD universal transportation card set for 2012 release
The Guangdong province Ministry of Transport has said that plans to introduce a Pearl River Delta-wide universal transportation card remain underway, and we should see a release of the card later next year.

The card, when released, will be accepted on buses, subway lines, trains and other modes of transportation through the PRD. Shenzhen has said that due to system compatibility issues, it will be late in joining the network. The Ministry also said that it plans to integrate the card with public transportation all throughout Guangdong province in 2014, followed by expansion to Hong Kong and Macau.

Guangzhou Party secretary seeks feudal justice system revival
Guangzhou Party secretary Zhang Guangning yesterday announced a 100-day operation which begins today and is aimed at improving service at the city’s petition offices, bodies outside the legal system which are better known for illegally detaining those with grievances than dispensing any form of justice, that crucial authority which petition offices don’t actually possess.

Zhang’s plan is to get leaders of the city’s petition offices from every level out meeting with petitioners, listening to what they have to say, and has given petition office leaders the target of bringing resolution to 25 cases each. Zhang has said the focus will be on labor disputes, public safety and environmental issues.