Henan Court Provides “Death Penalty Guarantee” to Victim’s Family Members

• Author: Li Junde

In the evening of August 2, 2001, juvenile Guo Xia was murdered. When the suspect Li Huailiang was tried in the Ye County Court in August, 2003, Li retracted his earlier confession, stating that it had been extracted from him by means of torture. In September, 2006, after a total of seven hearings and three judgments, the Henan High People’s Court again sent the case back to the Pingdingshan City Intermediate People’s Court for retrial. Since then, the case was not heard with Li being detained in prison for more than ten years. Since the plaintiff and defendant kept petitioning, the local authorities in concern were faced with a dilemma.

Under these circumstances, on May 17, 2004, the former Vice-President of the Pingdingshan City...