Strengthen child protection

Following a series of high-profile child abuse and neglect cases in recent years and the deaths of children in care, there have been growing concerns about the well-being of children removed from the custody of their parents and calls for a more comprehensive system to protect children.

Efforts are being made toward this goal and related regulations will be rolled out by the end of the year. Those concerned should ensure that a comprehensive State child protection and custody system be established that can effectively protect vulnerable minors, said a commentary in Beijing News on Wednesday.

The existing laws in China do allow for abusive or negligent parents to be deprived of their custody rights, but they do not include details on implementation. The maltreatment of children usually takes place in the home, so it can be highly "elusive". That is why in many countries, civil servants, teachers and doctors are mandated to report any suspected mistreatment of children.