(Photo : Tang Hui)

A court in China has awarded mother Tang Hui 2,491 yuan (US$479) as compensation for being sent to a labor camp after campaigning harsher punishment for her daughter's attackers.

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In 2006, Tang Hui's daughter was raped and kidnapped, being forced by her apprehenders and serves as a prostitute until she was rescued after three months.

The criminals were arrested and tried. Last year, two were sentenced to death, four to life sentences and one fifteen years. Believing that her daughter deserved full justice, Tang Hui sought out the court to give all the men death sentences.

When her request was refused, Tang Hui publicized her plight online and through social media. Gaining many supporters and causing public criticism, she was sentenced 18 months at a labor camp for "disturbing social order". The country allows people to be sent to labor camps for "re-education" without the need of any legal process and had implied it on her.

Just within a few days of her detention, however, a social uproar began and people started to view the action as injustice. She was therefore released after a week in labor camp.

The situation, along with related concerns to other labor camp sentences, has gotten China's new leaders thinking about reforming the old system.

Later on, the court gave her the mentioned compensation for violating her personal freedom and causing possible mental damage. Relevant people in the court apologized to her but when Tang Hui asked for a formal apology from the police, the request was rejected.

Many supporters criticized this and said the compensation payout was low. Others demanded the written apology from the police pull through.

 Later on Tang Hui and her lawyer Xu Liping spread news of the outcome on Sina Wiebo, a Chinese microblog. They said that aside from the apology from the police, all requests had been granted.

Tang Hui has expressed her gratitude to her supporters by posting: "Thank you all" on her microblog.