Elder sentenced for medical crimes

A 74-year-old man who gave a prescription to a couple without having a license, poisoning one of the two, was sentenced to six-months' detention with six-month reprieve, the Pudong New Area People’s Court said on Sunday.

The man, Chen, was also fined 3,500 yuan (US$490) and paid more than 170,000 yuan to the family for medical fees and compensation.

According to the court, on February 10 and March 3, Chen gave a “secret recipe” to the couple. After taking the medicine, the wife, Su, became ill.

On March 5, Chen was apprehended and confessed. Investigations showed that Chen had been punished in June 2011 and May 2013.

A white paper on elderly-related cases issued by the court said between January 2018 and July 2019, the court handled more than 300 cases with 322 elderly people involved. Over 40 percent of elderly offenders have previous criminal records.

The court called for more attention to local seniors’ relationship with their children and other family members, as well as their own mental problems.