The prosecution of abandoning family members may be handled in different ways according to different circumstances:
 1. Abandonment crime is a public prosecution case in principle. The court can accept it as a private prosecution case only when the procuratorate has not initiated a public prosecution and the victim has evidence to prove that the defendant has committed the crime of abandonment.
 2. A case of transferring public prosecution to private prosecution refers to a case in which the victim has evidence to prove that the defendant should be investigated for criminal responsibility according to law for his acts of infringing upon his personal and property rights, and the public security organ or the People's Procuratorate has made a written decision not to investigate.
 3. In the crime of abandonment, if the victim has evidence to prove a minor criminal case, he may file a private prosecution.
 According to Article 261 of the Criminal Law, anyone who refuses to support a person who is old, young, ill or has no ability to live independently, if the circumstances are flagrant, shall be sentenced to fixed-term imprisonment of not more than five years, criminal detention or public surveillance.