A case with legal aid has promoted the China State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television, the national organ managing books, TVs, films, and animations, to require producers of animations for children to modify and delete all the violent plots in their productions. It has also told them to remind child viewers that they should not imitate any dangerous plots in animations. 

The move was based on an incident in which a ten-year-old child imitated the plot of an episode of The Pleasant Goat and Big Big Wolf, a popular Chinese animated television series, and caused serious injury to another two children on April 6, 2013.

The original plot in the animation is about the wolf binding the goat and trying to roast it. Imitating the story, a 10-year-old child tied another two boys -- a four-year-old and an eight-year-old -- up a tree and burned bamboo leaves under it. With the help of heavy wind, the fire spread quickly and resulted in a 40 percent burn injury to the younger and 80 percent burn injury to the older. The severe injuries to the two boys brought about huge financial pressure to their family.

The family asked for help at the Lianyungang Municipal Legal Aid Center which accepted the case after an examination. A special case on the protection of minors, this lawsuit was the first to sue the producer because of personal injury to children allegedly caused by some aspect of the plot of an animation.

Legal aid lawyers spent a lot of time investigating the accident scene and analyzing the animation to discover any evidence indicating that violence in the animation’s plot was responsible for the accident.

At trial, the court had to determine whether the defendant--the animation producer--had done anything wrong and whether there was a cause and effect relationship between the animation and the burn injuries.

Though the animation producer argued that it was improper custody that led to the accident, the legal aid counsel for the injured children said that the animation had violated a regulation under the Chinese Law on Protection of Minors prohibiting published animations from containing violence, sex, gambling, or terrorism. 

The animation also failed to caution viewers that it was not suitable for people under 18 years old.

With the help of legal aid lawyers, the court conducted a mediation showing humanitarian spirit and a concern for the protection of minors. The victims received a compensation payment of 850,000 yuan ($127,000).

The lawsuit has drawn wide attention, and administration departments, producers, management, and broadcasters have taken remediation measures to prevent similar tragedies from happening.

The legal aid lawyers advised people to use the law to protect their rights as it is the most direct protection, more effective than individual voices or public opinion.