China to build child sex offender database

BEIJING -- China's Supreme People's Procuratorate announced Friday that a national database of child sex offenders will be established.

The SPP will also promote the building of relevant inquiry and restriction mechanisms for candidates seeking employment related to minors, said Shi Weizhong, a senior prosecutor with the SPP, at a video conference on inter-agency protection of rural left-behind children and children living in difficulties.

Over 3,600 suspects have been prosecuted for criminal offenses against rural left-behind children since 2018, according to Shi.

In the following phase, the procuratorate organs will intensify the supervision on legal proceedings involving disadvantaged children and put in place a compulsory reporting system on possible offenses against them.

Under the proposed system, educational, medical, relief management and welfare institutions will be obligated to promptly report such offenses or suspected offenses, as well as abandonment, according to Shi.