China to Toughen Sentencing for Child Sex Offences

Heavy penalties ordered for child sex offences

Supreme People's Court of China

BEIJING, Aug. 30 (Xinhua) -- A senior justice of China's Supreme People's Court (SPC) has vowed heavy sentences on sexual crimes against minors especially those committed by teachers, who should act as guardian and educator for their charges.

SPC vice president Huang Ermei stressed harsher punishments on such crimes according to the law and maximum protection for the victims at a seminar on Thursday in the wake of recent incidents involving children.

Heavy penalties should be imposed in criminal cases which seriously hurt the physical and mental health of minors, such as sexual assaults and molestation against children or forced prostitution of underage girls, Huang said.

"More severe sentences should be handed down to sexual offenses committed by teachers who have guardian and education duty for the victims, civil servants, or those who broke into students' dorms to rape minors," she urged.

Supreme People's Court of China

China has seen multiple reports of teachers molesting or raping students recently.

A 62-year-old primary school teacher was detained by police last month on suspicion of molesting seven girls and infecting them with venereal diseases, according to media reports.

In May, a primary school headmaster and a government employee in the city of Wanning in south China's Hainan Province were detained by police for allegedly sexually assaulting six female students.

On June 25, a school principal was sentenced to 18 years in jail for raping and molesting girls in Qianshan County in east China's Anhui Province.

The SPC is drafting judicial documents on punishing sexual offences against minors, according to Huang.