Chinese procuratorial organs ramp up protection of minors

BEIJING - Procuratorial organs in China have enhanced the protection of minors with all-out efforts in recent years, a report from China's top procuratorate showed.

The report was submitted by the Supreme People's Procuratorate (SPP) Friday to the 37th session of the Standing Committee of the 13th National People's Congress for deliberation.

Of all those who were indicted for crimes against minors from 2018 to September 2022, 42 percent, or 47,000 were sentenced to at least three years in prison in the first instance, said Zhang Jun, procurator-general of the SPP, in the report.

Regarding safety issues on campus, procuratorial organs in China worked closely with educational authorities and schools in improving campus safety, the report noted. In 2021, 1,062 people involved in school violence and bullying criminal cases were indicted, down 76.9 percent from 2018.

The report pointed out that comprehensive protection of minors can only be realized when protection in six aspects is in place. The six aspects are judicial protection, and protection from family, school, society, cyberspace and the government.

To ensure that protection in these areas is effective, procuratorial organs have taken multiple measures, such as developing mechanisms to rectify irresponsible parent behavior, having procurators participate in school education to raise minors' legal awareness, urging lodging service providers to enhance protection of minors, and creating a clean cyberspace for underage users.