Ministry of Civil Affairs following case of alleged live burial in Shandong

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The grandfather of a baby boy involving in an alleged live burial case has been detained, police in Shandong said on Friday.

The Ministry of Civil Affairs is following the case of an alleged live burial of a baby boy in Shandong province and on Thursday asked the Civil Affairs Department of Shandong to verify the reports.

"Whoever violates the laws and regulations on protecting juveniles will get punished," Zhang Weixing, spokesman for the ministry said at a news conference held on Thursday in Beijing.

He said the ministry attaches great importance to protecting children's rights and interests.

The opinions on dealing with guardians infringing on the rights and interests of juveniles released in 2014 make clear the punishments for those who sell, abandon, abuse and injure juveniles, he said.

The baby boy was allegedly buried alive in the village of Nanbaita village in Jinan, Shandong province in late August and later saved by villagers.

Two months after the baby was saved, a man in his 50s surnamed Liu, who claims to be the grandfather of the baby, turned himself in on Sunday at the Yangliu police station in Xintai, a county-level city in Tai'an, Shandong, claiming the infant's grandmother buried him after it seemed he died two days after being brought home.

The baby is the younger child of twins. He was diagnosed with several diseases at birth and could only live on a respirator, Liu said.

But the hospital where the twins were born said the baby was in stable condition when his family gave up treatment 44 hours after he was born and took him home.

Local police have sealed hospital medical records and are investigating the case.

The ministry will continue following the case and guide local civil affairs organs to enhance efforts on protecting the rights and interests of juveniles, said Zhang.