0:00:22 > 0:00:25Ding Yu is a journalist and TV presenter.
0:00:27 > 0:00:32TRANSLATION: I like being a reporter. I really love my job.
0:00:40 > 0:00:44After so many years, I feel it's more than a job to me.
0:00:47 > 0:00:51But the programme she presents is extraordinary.
0:01:09 > 0:01:12She conducts interviews with prisoners
0:01:12 > 0:01:14who've been sentenced to death.
0:01:21 > 0:01:24In the weeks, days or even minutes before an execution
0:01:24 > 0:01:28is carried out, the condemned talk to Ding Yu, face to face.
0:01:53 > 0:01:54Ding Yu and her team
0:01:54 > 0:01:58are making last-minute preparations for today's interview.
0:02:08 > 0:02:12In China, you can be sentenced to death for 55 crimes
0:02:12 > 0:02:14ranging from theft, smuggling
0:02:14 > 0:02:17and crimes against the state, to violent crimes like murder.
0:02:19 > 0:02:23Ding Yu focuses exclusively on clear-cut cases of murder,
0:02:23 > 0:02:25often unusually brutal killings.
0:02:36 > 0:02:40Interviews Before Execution is on every week of the year.
0:02:40 > 0:02:42It's been running for more than four years.
0:02:42 > 0:02:45Ding Yu has presented every one.
0:02:54 > 0:02:56The show is broadcast on the Henan Legal Channel -
0:02:56 > 0:03:00one of 3,000 TV channels across China.
0:03:00 > 0:03:03All are owned by the state and are subject to its censors.
0:03:26 > 0:03:28To Western eyes, the show may seem exploitative,
0:03:28 > 0:03:31but that's not how Ding Yu sees it.
0:03:33 > 0:03:37TRANSLATION: Some viewers may consider it cruel to ask a criminal
0:03:37 > 0:03:41to do an interview when they are about to be executed.
0:03:44 > 0:03:47On the contrary, they want to be heard.
0:03:54 > 0:03:59Ding Yu is about to interview a man who stabbed his ex-wife to death,
0:03:59 > 0:04:01before setting fire to the house.
0:04:03 > 0:04:07When I talk with the interviewee, I'm more concerned
0:04:07 > 0:04:13with his character, upbringing, environment,
0:04:13 > 0:04:17social background and the link between him and the victim.
0:04:18 > 0:04:21That is what we want to dig out.
0:04:23 > 0:04:27Gao Pingfu was badly burnt in the blaze
0:04:27 > 0:04:28and has been sentenced to death.
0:04:38 > 0:04:42TRANSLATION: We have a saying, "Feed him a carrot so he'll follow you."
0:04:42 > 0:04:45Everyone has their weak points, something they care about.
0:04:58 > 0:05:02So, we don't start by talking about the case with him,
0:05:02 > 0:05:04but things he might be interested in.
0:05:04 > 0:05:08We have to really understand this person.
0:05:35 > 0:05:40Gao Pingfu turned up at his ex-wife's home with a knife
0:05:40 > 0:05:42and stabbed her to death in front of her parents.
0:06:24 > 0:06:28TRANSLATION: 'When I'm face to face with them,
0:06:28 > 0:06:30'I feel sorry and regretful for them.'
0:06:30 > 0:06:33But I don't sympathize with them,
0:06:33 > 0:06:36for they should pay a heavy price for their wrongdoing.
0:06:36 > 0:06:38They deserve it.
0:07:28 > 0:07:32Their life experience is nothing unusual.
0:07:32 > 0:07:35And they have experienced something that
0:07:35 > 0:07:38most ordinary people are going through or will go through.
0:07:41 > 0:07:44The only difference is the dramatic change
0:07:44 > 0:07:48they undergo at the moment when they commit the crime.
0:07:50 > 0:07:53The intention of our programme is to prevent
0:07:53 > 0:07:55people from repeating their mistakes.
0:08:08 > 0:08:10A few weeks later, Ding Yu
0:08:10 > 0:08:14and her team track down Gao Pingfu's daughter living with her new family.
0:08:22 > 0:08:26TRANSLATION: We first asked for the consent of the girl's stepfather
0:08:26 > 0:08:30and then we said to the girl, "Your dad has something to say to you
0:08:30 > 0:08:32"and we have filmed it.
0:08:32 > 0:08:35"Would you like to see it?" She said "Yes".
0:08:35 > 0:08:39We just showed the back of her head.
0:08:48 > 0:08:51TRANSLATION: I can help them convey their last words.
0:08:51 > 0:08:55Or I can help carry out something he wants to do to atone for his crime.
0:08:56 > 0:09:01Through my interview, he can show his atonement for the crime
0:09:01 > 0:09:04and get rid of a heavy burden or a stone in his heart.
0:09:11 > 0:09:14Days later, the programme goes on air.
0:09:38 > 0:09:42The Chinese state doesn't release official statistics,
0:09:42 > 0:09:46but it is thought to execute thousands of people every year.
0:09:46 > 0:09:49They are killed by lethal injection or by firing squad.
0:09:49 > 0:09:53There is no presumption of innocence in Chinese law and confessions
0:09:53 > 0:09:57are sometimes taken before the suspect has had access to a lawyer.
0:09:59 > 0:10:02Henan TV's stated purpose is to inform and educate
0:10:02 > 0:10:05according to government policy.
0:10:08 > 0:10:10It's the show's weekly meeting.
0:10:22 > 0:10:24It was Ding Yu who came up with the idea
0:10:24 > 0:10:27for Interviews Before Execution.
0:10:27 > 0:10:30She pitched it to the boss of the channel.
0:10:33 > 0:10:36- TRANSLATION:- I thought it was a great idea right away.
0:10:36 > 0:10:39Not because I thought of it as being commercially successful
0:10:39 > 0:10:44but for our responsibility to society.
0:10:47 > 0:10:49But they still had to persuade government officials
0:10:49 > 0:10:52and the courts that the show was in the national interest.
0:10:53 > 0:10:57When we were planning this programme, we had to have the consent
0:10:57 > 0:11:01and approval of the high court of Henan province.
0:11:01 > 0:11:04Without them we wouldn't have been be able to do it.
0:11:08 > 0:11:11In China, judges are appointed by the state's
0:11:11 > 0:11:13National People's Congress.
0:11:13 > 0:11:16Judge Liu Wenling was one of the first to offer cases
0:11:16 > 0:11:17to the programme.
0:11:18 > 0:11:21- TRANSLATION: - When Ding Yu came to me
0:11:21 > 0:11:24and asked whether I could offer her a good case for
0:11:24 > 0:11:27Interviews Before Execution, I remembered this one case.
0:11:27 > 0:11:31The reason why I chose it is because of its educational value.
0:11:31 > 0:11:35That is, when young people in love are dealing with
0:11:35 > 0:11:40romantic disputes, they should not lose control like the defendant.
0:11:42 > 0:11:46As a warning to others, the Chinese authorities have traditionally
0:11:46 > 0:11:50paraded prisoners through the streets before execution.
0:11:50 > 0:11:53Now they use a TV show.
0:11:55 > 0:11:59The message they want to send is that you must abide by the law
0:11:59 > 0:12:01and you must never lose control.
0:12:05 > 0:12:08- LU PEIJUN IN TRANSLATION: - We want the audience to be warned.
0:12:08 > 0:12:13For us, if people are warned then some tragedies might be averted.
0:12:13 > 0:12:16That's good for society.
0:12:24 > 0:12:29Interviews Before Execution rates in the top 10 shows in the province
0:12:29 > 0:12:32and is watched by millions every week.
0:12:32 > 0:12:34It has made Ding Yu a star.
0:12:40 > 0:12:43The audience like her, and so do the interviewees.
0:12:44 > 0:12:47That means criminals hated by the public.
0:12:51 > 0:12:55And she is a lady.
0:12:55 > 0:13:01I assumed her female image would be helpful to the production.
0:13:01 > 0:13:04We say she is the beauty with the beasts.
0:13:15 > 0:13:19In a break from filming, Ding Yu goes shopping
0:13:19 > 0:13:21with her husband and her son.
0:13:24 > 0:13:28But even here, work catches up with her.
0:13:46 > 0:13:51Over 100 million people live in Henan province.
0:13:51 > 0:13:54Vast cities are surrounded by enormous rural areas.
0:13:58 > 0:14:00Justice in China can be swift.
0:14:00 > 0:14:03Once the supreme court has upheld a death sentence, the prisoner
0:14:03 > 0:14:06can be executed after seven days.
0:14:07 > 0:14:12Executions take place near to where the prisoners are being held,
0:14:12 > 0:14:15in open spaces closed off from the public
0:14:15 > 0:14:17or in mobile execution trucks.
0:14:18 > 0:14:21As the province is so large, Ding Yu often travels hundreds of miles
0:14:21 > 0:14:24for an interview at short notice.
0:14:49 > 0:14:51The young man she'll interview today
0:14:51 > 0:14:55is convicted of murdering his girlfriend's grandparents.
0:14:55 > 0:14:58His girlfriend knew about the plan to rob them
0:14:58 > 0:15:01and is facing 12 years in jail, and the boy who killed them
0:15:01 > 0:15:03has been sentenced to death.
0:15:03 > 0:15:06Both defendants are university students.
0:15:06 > 0:15:09They are very young, in their 20s.
0:15:29 > 0:15:33Like many of the cases Ding Yu covers, this one is about money.
0:15:36 > 0:15:37The robbery went wrong
0:15:37 > 0:15:41and Zhang Peng ended up murdering the elderly couple.
0:16:38 > 0:16:42Ding Yu passed on Zhang Peng's message to his girlfriend,
0:16:42 > 0:16:45who's also in jail for being an accomplice to the robbery.
0:16:48 > 0:16:52TRANSLATION: To me it seems that the girl still loves this boy,
0:16:52 > 0:16:55even though he killed her grandparents.
0:16:57 > 0:17:00Her eyes were wet with tears.
0:17:31 > 0:17:35I've interviewed criminals even younger than him.
0:17:35 > 0:17:37Some are just 18 years old.
0:17:38 > 0:17:42That's the minimum age you can be sentenced to death.
0:17:49 > 0:17:55They are gone now, executed. They have left their families for ever.
0:17:59 > 0:18:00They are so young.
0:18:00 > 0:18:07They never had the chance to see this world, or to enjoy life,
0:18:07 > 0:18:12career, work, and love of family.
0:18:12 > 0:18:16They've made the wrong choice, and the price is their lives.
0:18:19 > 0:18:22The show airs only a week after the interview,
0:18:22 > 0:18:25so Ding Yu and the editor are under intense pressure
0:18:25 > 0:18:26to get it ready for transmission.
0:19:19 > 0:19:21TRANSLATION: I can say, this programme
0:19:21 > 0:19:24has a really serious effect on me.
0:19:26 > 0:19:34When I started the show, I was often so scared, scared about others,
0:19:34 > 0:19:38about people around me, afraid they might kill me.
0:19:42 > 0:19:45Home is the only place she can really switch off and relax.
0:20:21 > 0:20:25'All the anxiety and pressures from my work are lifted as soon
0:20:25 > 0:20:27'as I come home to my family.
0:20:32 > 0:20:36'I know I'll keep on doing many interviews, but at the same time,
0:20:36 > 0:20:41'lots of people keep telling me, don't do this programme for long.
0:20:41 > 0:20:45'Even the High Court chief himself personally suggested that
0:20:45 > 0:20:48'I should not do this programme for long.'
0:20:48 > 0:20:51He said, as a girl, he called me a girl,
0:20:51 > 0:20:55though I was not a girl any more, he said doing this would burden
0:20:55 > 0:20:58you too much, and won't do your life any good.
0:21:04 > 0:21:07Although she's presented the show for four years,
0:21:07 > 0:21:10Ding Yu admits to crying on only two occasions during an interview.
0:21:15 > 0:21:19Once was with a man sentenced to death for the murder of a child.
0:21:19 > 0:21:22It was a kidnap for ransom that went horribly wrong.
0:21:46 > 0:21:49The killer described in detail what they did to the girl.
0:21:49 > 0:21:51It was too much for Ding Yu to bear.
0:23:00 > 0:23:04Filming a documentary about her show is making Ding Yu
0:23:04 > 0:23:08relive many of the cases she's filmed throughout the years.
0:23:12 > 0:23:15Interviewing so often, I thought I'd get used to the evil.
0:23:15 > 0:23:18But the questions you've asked me,
0:23:18 > 0:23:22about the cases that have affected me most, they're painful for me.
0:23:25 > 0:23:29Because telling those stories, recalling them,
0:23:29 > 0:23:31I've felt anxious since yesterday.
0:23:31 > 0:23:35It's making me feel awful and giving me headaches.
0:23:42 > 0:23:45As Ding Yu's show has gained in popularity,
0:23:45 > 0:23:50viewers have contacted her to ask her to cover their stories.
0:23:50 > 0:23:52For one of her most memorable interviews,
0:23:52 > 0:23:56it was the victim's sister who got in touch.
0:24:01 > 0:24:04TRANSLATION: Unable to see Wu Yanyan herself,
0:24:04 > 0:24:07the sister-in-law really wanted to know
0:24:07 > 0:24:13how Wu could be so cruel and how she could have killed her husband.
0:24:13 > 0:24:16She wanted to draw wider attention to this case
0:24:16 > 0:24:20because of her hatred of the killer.
0:24:22 > 0:24:26It is a kind of comfort for the sister.
0:24:29 > 0:24:32Ding Yu was to follow the story over many months,
0:24:32 > 0:24:35to an extraordinary conclusion.
0:24:35 > 0:24:39From the start, it was more complicated
0:24:39 > 0:24:45than most of Ding Yu's cases. The death sentence was in dispute.
0:25:06 > 0:25:11Despite Wu Yanyan's claims, the abuse was never proven.
0:25:22 > 0:25:25When Wu Yanyan's case went to trial,
0:25:25 > 0:25:27she was sentenced to immediate execution.
0:25:27 > 0:25:32But since 2007, every execution verdict in China has had to
0:25:32 > 0:25:34go to the Supreme Court to be confirmed.
0:25:34 > 0:25:39When they looked at Wu Yanyan's case and the accusations of abuse,
0:25:39 > 0:25:41they asked for it to be re-examined.
0:26:10 > 0:26:11When the crime happened,
0:26:11 > 0:26:14her daughter was only a baby of 14 months.
0:26:14 > 0:26:16Now she is soon to be seven.
0:26:16 > 0:26:18This is torture for a mother like Wu.
0:26:26 > 0:26:30In the last five years, the government's official policy
0:26:30 > 0:26:34has been to execute less, and more cautiously.
0:26:34 > 0:26:39Earlier this year the Chinese state reduced the number of crimes
0:26:39 > 0:26:43that receive the death penalty from 68 to 55.
0:26:43 > 0:26:47Now, economic crimes like VAT and credit fraud no longer carry
0:26:47 > 0:26:50the death sentence, but with no published statistics
0:26:50 > 0:26:54it's impossible to measure the impact of the changes.
0:26:56 > 0:26:59There is also now a more lenient line on domestic murder.
0:26:59 > 0:27:03Judges are expected to consult with the victim's family
0:27:03 > 0:27:05and try to agree a lesser sentence with them.
0:27:08 > 0:27:11In Wu Yanyan's case, it's judge Liu Wenling's job
0:27:11 > 0:27:14to mediate between the two sides.
0:27:16 > 0:27:20- TRANSLATION:- Mediations for most criminal cases are very difficult.
0:27:20 > 0:27:24Because victims' families are experiencing huge sorrow,
0:27:24 > 0:27:27and they all have this traditional idea -
0:27:27 > 0:27:32you killed my family member, you need to be sentenced to death.
0:27:37 > 0:27:40Although this crime is still a homicide,
0:27:40 > 0:27:43since it has taken a life and has left severe consequences,
0:27:43 > 0:27:45it does less harm to society than other cases
0:27:45 > 0:27:49of kidnap and murder or robbery and murder.
0:27:54 > 0:27:56Wu Yanyan's case is one that Ding Yu
0:27:56 > 0:27:59and her team will continue to follow.
0:27:59 > 0:28:02If the two families can come to an agreement then
0:28:02 > 0:28:04her death sentence could be lifted.
0:28:08 > 0:28:10Ding Yu's recorded over 200 programmes,
0:28:10 > 0:28:12but it was her interview with a gay man
0:28:12 > 0:28:16that proved the most controversial.
0:28:16 > 0:28:21Until 1999, homosexuality was an imprisonable offence in China
0:28:21 > 0:28:24and it is still a huge taboo rarely discussed in the media.
0:28:45 > 0:28:48Bao Rongting was convicted of murdering his mother
0:28:48 > 0:28:50and abusing her dead body.
0:29:08 > 0:29:10When the interview with Bao Rongting aired,
0:29:10 > 0:29:14it achieved the highest viewing figures of the series.
0:29:14 > 0:29:19The channel ran another three half-hour episodes on his story.
0:29:52 > 0:29:56It was the first time Ding Yu had met an openly gay man.
0:29:58 > 0:30:01TRANSLATION: 'This episode deeply affected many viewers.
0:30:01 > 0:30:04'And it was a great challenge for me to face him.
0:30:04 > 0:30:08'I really couldn't accept some of his practices, words and deeds.'
0:30:08 > 0:30:14Though he was a man, he asked me, in a very feminine tone,
0:30:14 > 0:30:16"Do you feel awkward speaking to me?"
0:30:16 > 0:30:17Actually, I did feel awkward.
0:30:23 > 0:30:24'But I couldn't say I felt awkward.'
0:30:24 > 0:30:30I could only say, "Erm. No. No. Not awkward."
0:30:30 > 0:30:36Because a gay man always hopes others will approve and understand.
0:30:36 > 0:30:40If I showed any sign of disapproval, he'd raise a wall.
0:30:40 > 0:30:44He'd refuse my interview and never disclose his inner feelings.
0:30:55 > 0:31:00The law in China stipulates prisoners can be executed
0:31:00 > 0:31:04just seven days after their final sentence, but some remain in prison
0:31:04 > 0:31:07awaiting execution for much longer.
0:31:08 > 0:31:11A month after Ding Yu interviewed Bao Rongting,
0:31:11 > 0:31:16she has returned to the prison on the day of his execution.
0:31:16 > 0:31:19While there, they filmed two other men being led out
0:31:19 > 0:31:24to say goodbye to their families in the prison courtyard.
0:31:24 > 0:31:27It wasn't until 2006 prisoners in Henan were allowed
0:31:27 > 0:31:31to see their families before their execution.
0:32:22 > 0:32:26The next prisoner is brought out to say goodbye to his family.
0:33:44 > 0:33:47Ding Yu and her team are the only people who have turned up
0:33:47 > 0:33:51to see Bao Ronting before his execution.
0:33:52 > 0:33:56He asked me, "Where will I go? Will I go to heaven?"
0:33:56 > 0:33:58He knew his life would soon end.
0:34:10 > 0:34:14I said, "Sorry, I went to your home yesterday,
0:34:14 > 0:34:17"but your brother didn't want to see you off."
0:34:17 > 0:34:20He said, "It doesn't matter. It's my fault anyway."
0:34:46 > 0:34:49People talk about angels and devils.
0:34:49 > 0:34:51I never thought of myself as an angel
0:34:51 > 0:34:55because I meet these people for work.
0:34:56 > 0:34:59I see myself more as a witness.
0:35:01 > 0:35:05I witness how they've arrived at the point of death.
0:35:05 > 0:35:08Witness their mind-set before death.
0:35:08 > 0:35:11And witness the transition from life to death.
0:35:22 > 0:35:26In China, the condemned must provide signatures and fingerprints,
0:35:26 > 0:35:30to confirm their identity and state that they don't want to take up
0:35:30 > 0:35:33their right to further appeal.
0:35:33 > 0:35:35By signing the paperwork,
0:35:35 > 0:35:38he clears the last hurdle for his own execution.
0:36:17 > 0:36:21As he says goodbye he has one last request.
0:36:27 > 0:36:30TRANSLATION: I had so many thoughts racing through my head.
0:36:31 > 0:36:33Should I shake hands with him?
0:36:34 > 0:36:37What would he gain if I did?
0:36:37 > 0:36:42What comfort would this bring? Would it help him go peacefully?
0:36:42 > 0:36:47At last, I moved my middle finger across his hand.
0:36:49 > 0:36:53There was a lot of dirt under his nails.
0:36:58 > 0:37:00It was like that.
0:37:02 > 0:37:06For a long time, there was a feeling in this finger.
0:37:06 > 0:37:08I can't describe that feeling.
0:37:09 > 0:37:14I don't know whether I should have shaken hands with him or not.
0:37:14 > 0:37:18That was just my instinctive reaction.
0:37:20 > 0:37:23I remember his look. He turned to look around.
0:37:24 > 0:37:27I think he was looking for his relatives.
0:37:29 > 0:37:34But his relatives didn't show up, not while he was still alive.
0:37:38 > 0:37:43After he was executed, his family members went to collect his body.
0:37:56 > 0:37:59Bao Rongting was then loaded into an open-top truck
0:37:59 > 0:38:03wearing a placard bearing his name and his crime,
0:38:03 > 0:38:07and he was paraded around the streets on the way to his execution.
0:38:10 > 0:38:12This practice is no longer legal in China,
0:38:12 > 0:38:14but there are many differences in the way
0:38:14 > 0:38:17the law is implemented across the country.
0:38:22 > 0:38:25Ding Yu's programme never shows the actual execution.
0:38:27 > 0:38:32SIRENS BLARE
0:38:42 > 0:38:45The constant proximity to death haunts her.
0:38:54 > 0:38:59TRANSLATION: About this time last year, I was on a train to Fujian.
0:38:59 > 0:39:02It was about 1am. I wasn't feeling well and couldn't sleep.
0:39:02 > 0:39:05Everyone else was asleep.
0:39:08 > 0:39:10The curtains were closed.
0:39:13 > 0:39:18The moment I opened them, it seemed, outside in the blurry night,
0:39:18 > 0:39:25in the wilderness, stood a long row of people.
0:39:27 > 0:39:32All those I've interviewed who'd been executed.
0:39:35 > 0:39:37Their faces were so real.
0:39:37 > 0:39:41And now all of them, standing there looking at me.
0:39:44 > 0:39:49I was horrified. I couldn't have imagined anything like that.
0:39:51 > 0:39:54I don't know why.
0:40:02 > 0:40:05Actually, I know so many stories,
0:40:05 > 0:40:08met so many people, heard so many cases,
0:40:08 > 0:40:11learned about so many hard realities.
0:40:13 > 0:40:14How can I put it?
0:40:14 > 0:40:17It's really not good for me at all.
0:40:20 > 0:40:24I have too much rubbish in my heart.
0:40:36 > 0:40:38Ding Yu is at Zhengzhou Detention Centre.
0:40:38 > 0:40:42They're about to film an interview that has taken weeks to set up.
0:40:46 > 0:40:49- TRANSLATION:- We have to do some research before shooting,
0:40:49 > 0:40:54interview the victim's family, and ask for background information.
0:40:57 > 0:41:00And then we'll contact the families of the defendants,
0:41:00 > 0:41:04sometimes we would contact their neighbours,
0:41:04 > 0:41:07or witnesses at the crime scene.
0:41:14 > 0:41:17TRANSLATION: There are tricks to get cases from the criminal court,
0:41:17 > 0:41:20and permission from the propaganda department,
0:41:20 > 0:41:24letting them understand the case is educational, and typical.
0:41:34 > 0:41:38However, after initially agreeing, the man refuses to do the interview.
0:41:49 > 0:41:52Making this programme is difficult.
0:41:52 > 0:41:56We can't interview subjects without getting their consent.
0:41:56 > 0:42:02People rarely refuse our interview. Until now.
0:42:04 > 0:42:09According to Henan TV, only five prisoners have ever refused,
0:42:09 > 0:42:12out of more than 200 Ding Yu has interviewed.
0:42:15 > 0:42:19In Chinese law they now recognize a concept called "social harmony".
0:42:19 > 0:42:21In the case of a domestic murder,
0:42:21 > 0:42:24if the victim's family can forgive the murderer,
0:42:24 > 0:42:27and an agreement can be reached by the two sides,
0:42:27 > 0:42:30then the death penalty can be lifted.
0:42:30 > 0:42:33The judges have persuaded the families of Wu Yanyan
0:42:33 > 0:42:36and her murdered husband to meet.
0:42:40 > 0:42:44'The victim's family strongly demanded the death penalty,'
0:42:44 > 0:42:49but it is not encouraged by the current criminal justice policy.
0:42:51 > 0:42:55So the judge needed to do a lot of mediation.
0:42:56 > 0:43:01Only by doing so could Wu Yanyan's life be saved.
0:43:07 > 0:43:10LIU WENLING: 'According to the regulations of criminal law,
0:43:10 > 0:43:14'we need to provide an opportunity for mediation to both sides.'
0:43:14 > 0:43:17The victim's family strongly hoped that Wu
0:43:17 > 0:43:19would be sentenced to death,
0:43:19 > 0:43:23but I still talked with them from the perspective of this girl.
0:43:25 > 0:43:30Wu Yanyan's husband's family are determined she should be executed.
0:43:30 > 0:43:35But this is her parents' chance to convince them to show forgiveness.
0:43:37 > 0:43:40In reality, it often just comes down to money,
0:43:40 > 0:43:43and how much one family will pay to another
0:43:43 > 0:43:44to compensate for their loss.
0:43:47 > 0:43:50Later, Ding Yu plays Wu Yanyan the video of her family's pleas.
0:43:56 > 0:43:59SHE SCREAMS AND SOBS
0:44:28 > 0:44:33Wu Yanyan is back in court awaiting the judges' final verdict.
0:44:40 > 0:44:42In Chinese courts there is no jury,
0:44:42 > 0:44:46and the judges' decisions are made by majority.
0:44:46 > 0:44:48The trial is open to all parties to express their views -
0:44:48 > 0:44:53even members of the local community can try and influence the judges.
0:45:02 > 0:45:06The distraught parents of Wu Yanyan's husband
0:45:06 > 0:45:09approach the judges and demand
0:45:09 > 0:45:12the immediate execution sentence be upheld.
0:45:30 > 0:45:35Ding Yu and her team will return to film after the final verdict.
0:45:35 > 0:45:37If her death sentence is lifted,
0:45:37 > 0:45:39Wu Yanyan will be able to see her daughter again.
0:45:43 > 0:45:46- TRANSLATION:- I have practiced criminal trials for 29 years,
0:45:46 > 0:45:51and I know they are the most rigorous trials
0:45:51 > 0:45:54because the power to take lives is granted to you by the Party,
0:45:54 > 0:45:57the country and the people.
0:45:58 > 0:46:00This power is very great.
0:46:01 > 0:46:05When I first handled death sentence cases, I felt very heavy
0:46:05 > 0:46:07if I gave a death sentence.
0:46:08 > 0:46:12They also had parents, wives and children.
0:46:16 > 0:46:18CHILDREN SING
0:46:20 > 0:46:23It can be overwhelming for their families.
0:46:23 > 0:46:25Especially for their children.
0:46:25 > 0:46:27Some are quite young.
0:46:27 > 0:46:30They don't know what crime their parent committed.
0:46:30 > 0:46:34All they know is they'll be executed by firing squad.
0:46:35 > 0:46:38Ding Yu is at a home for children orphaned
0:46:38 > 0:46:41after their parents were sent to jail or executed.
0:46:49 > 0:46:53There are only six across China, all funded by private donations.
0:47:09 > 0:47:14Children as young as four months can live here, some stay for years.
0:47:22 > 0:47:26Children living in Xin Xiang Sun Village are taken to visit
0:47:26 > 0:47:31their mothers in prison, some of whom are facing the death penalty.
0:47:31 > 0:47:35The Sun Village aims to take them there at least once or twice a year.
0:47:38 > 0:47:42As the date of the execution approaches, the children are
0:47:42 > 0:47:45no longer brought to see their mothers, to reduce the trauma
0:47:45 > 0:47:47of final separation.
0:47:57 > 0:48:01Wu Yanyan is held here at Xin Xiang women's prison
0:48:01 > 0:48:04along with 5,000 inmates.
0:48:12 > 0:48:16The death penalty is still widely used across China.
0:48:16 > 0:48:18But change does appear to be happening.
0:48:18 > 0:48:23Fewer crimes now receive a sentence of immediate execution.
0:48:23 > 0:48:26Wu Yanyan's parents agree to pay compensation
0:48:26 > 0:48:31of 100,000 Chinese yuan, or about £10,000, to her husband's family.
0:48:32 > 0:48:35This is a huge amount of money in China
0:48:35 > 0:48:38and almost double the average annual wage.
0:48:41 > 0:48:45Wu Yanyan has had her death penalty suspended for two years,
0:48:45 > 0:48:48but if she deliberately commits any further crime in prison
0:48:48 > 0:48:51she will be executed.
0:48:51 > 0:48:54At the end of these two years, her final sentence will be reviewed
0:48:54 > 0:48:57and she could even eventually be freed.
0:49:01 > 0:49:04I truly felt released.
0:49:04 > 0:49:08The two sides are able to finally accept the judgment,
0:49:08 > 0:49:11and reach an agreement because of my efforts.
0:49:19 > 0:49:22'I felt released.'
0:49:22 > 0:49:25Initially, they insisted that Wu has to be sentenced
0:49:25 > 0:49:29to immediate execution, but now they can forgive her.
0:49:38 > 0:49:40Ding Yu has returned to see Wu Yanyan.
0:49:40 > 0:49:44She is making a follow-up to the original programme
0:49:44 > 0:49:47a year after it was broadcast.
0:50:41 > 0:50:44Ding Yu had filmed Wu Yanyan's sister-in-law
0:50:44 > 0:50:46at the time of the trial.
0:50:46 > 0:50:49She was adamant Wu Yanyan should be executed.
0:50:49 > 0:50:51She couldn't forgive Wu Yanyan,
0:50:51 > 0:50:56but nevertheless, took her daughter in and brought her up as her own.
0:51:17 > 0:51:19Although Wang Li
0:51:19 > 0:51:23and her parents forgave Wu Yanyan, the rest of the family had not.
0:51:48 > 0:51:52Today, Wang Li has brought Wu Yanyan's daughter to the prison,
0:51:52 > 0:51:56but the little girl has not been told Wu Yanyan is her mother.
0:53:23 > 0:53:26For years, Wu Yanyan believed she'd be executed
0:53:26 > 0:53:30and thought she'd never see her daughter again.
0:53:44 > 0:53:46Ding Yu sits the family down to talk.
0:55:19 > 0:55:23If her good behaviour continues, one day Wu Yanyan
0:55:23 > 0:55:27could even be freed and return home to her daughter.
0:55:31 > 0:55:35After the interview, I knew how much the opportunity meant to her.
0:55:35 > 0:55:38She is beginning to understand what she has done
0:55:38 > 0:55:40and the mistakes she has made.
0:55:42 > 0:55:47This will enable her to obey the law and be tolerant to others.
0:55:47 > 0:55:50It is a new start for her.
0:55:58 > 0:56:01The makers of Interviews Before Execution
0:56:01 > 0:56:05believe the show represents the changes taking place in China.
0:56:09 > 0:56:11- TRANSLATION:- For me, our programme
0:56:11 > 0:56:13can show the world what happens here,
0:56:13 > 0:56:17so they can see the real China, and see China's improvements.
0:56:27 > 0:56:32Although China is thought to execute more people than any other country,
0:56:32 > 0:56:35the death penalty gives one senior member of the judiciary
0:56:35 > 0:56:37pause for thought.
0:56:40 > 0:56:44I've already said that a life could end in the twinkling of an eye
0:56:44 > 0:56:46after a trial.
0:56:46 > 0:56:49I'd say this is also very cruel.
0:56:49 > 0:56:54It's also a means of getting rid of evil deeds through an evil deed.
0:56:54 > 0:56:58This also touches on the topic we talked about -
0:56:58 > 0:57:01should we abolish the death penalty?
0:57:01 > 0:57:06Since the death sentence for criminals is itself a violent act
0:57:06 > 0:57:08then we should abolish it.
0:57:09 > 0:57:13However, I don't think our country is ready yet
0:57:13 > 0:57:16for abolishing the death penalty.
0:57:16 > 0:57:20But in the future, it would be good to abolish it.
0:57:29 > 0:57:32Ding Yu doesn't talk of abolition,
0:57:32 > 0:57:35but whatever the burdens of her job,
0:57:35 > 0:57:39she sees her mission as keeping people on the right side of the law.
0:57:42 > 0:57:45'The programme urges us to make the right choices
0:57:45 > 0:57:50'when we face every challenge in life, and let us live more rationally'
0:57:50 > 0:57:54and happily, cherish life more and live more thankfully.
0:57:54 > 0:57:57This is my biggest wish making this programme.
0:57:57 > 0:57:58I hope that one day
0:57:58 > 0:58:01there will be no prisoners on death row to interview.
0:58:01 > 0:58:04Then I will be satisfied.
0:58:50 > 0:58:54Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd