Minors easy prey in sexual assaults

Minors under the age of 14 in Beijing are more likely to become victims of sexual assault, according to a white paper released by the Beijing High People's Court on Tuesday.

Sexual assaults account for more than a quarter of all the 346 criminal cases targeting minors recorded in Beijing last year, and more than 80 percent of victims in such assaults were under 14, according to the report.

"Victims in that age group are going through a transitional period from being children to teenagers," said Wu Zongxian, a criminal law professor at Beijing Normal University. "Though physically close to maturity, they still lack social experience. That makes them easy targets for offenders."