Underage offenders pose prosecution problem

Experts say guidelines related to the age of criminal responsibility are unclear and unhelpful. Zhang Yi reports from Beijing, with Liu Kun in Wuhan.

When police in Hubei province received reports earlier this year that a 13-year-old girl had been abducted, robbed and sexually assaulted, the prime suspect - who was known to the victim - was quickly apprehended.

However, instead of leading to a full investigation and possible prosecution, the case was dropped almost immediately because the alleged attacker was age 13, below the age of criminal responsibility, meaning the police were powerless to act.