Law stands by women against sexual assaults

ON TUESDAY, a local court in Shanghai sentenced a man to six months in prison because he touched two women's breasts on the subway this July. China Daily writer Zhang Zhouxiang comments:

This is the first time a Shanghai court has found someone guilty of public sexual indecency, and it is among the first cases nationwide. Many law experts have hailed the verdict, believing it will help victims of sexual assault better defend their rights.

There are two details that make the case special. First, one of the victims was under 18. Underage girls more easily fall prey to sexual assaults because of their inferior physical strength and lack of social experience, and many young girls dare not speak out after being sexually assaulted.