In the wake of a horrifying child rape allegation against Shanghai real estate tycoon Wang Zhenhua that surfaced last month, China’s Supreme People’s Procuratorate declared that the government will establish a national database of child sex offenders.
According to Xinhua, Friday’s announcement included a vow by the SPP to introduce stronger preventative measures for protecting vulnerable children.
During a video conference addressing the inter-agency protection of China’s at-risk youth, notably those left behind in rural areas, a senior SPP prosecutor named Shi Weizhong said that the SPP pledges to implement restrictive measures for applicants seeking work involving minors, in addition to furthering investigation on the issue of child sexual abuse.
Since 2018, more than 3,600 perpetrators have been convicted of crimes committed against left-behind youth in rural areas, said Shi, according to Xinhua – a potential drop in the bucket for offenses that largely go unreported.
READ MORE: Foreign Teacher Arrested for Molesting Child in China
In Shenzhen alone, 21 young students fell victim to sexual abuse between January and October 2018.
In the next phase of these new measures, various SPP branches will increase oversight on child-abuse-related legal proceedings, with a mandatory reporting system put in place to track offenders, says Shi.
Additionally, any institution in the fields of relief management, welfare, medicine and education are required to immediately report all offenses committed, including any cases of suspected wrongdoing.
Late last month, a foreign teacher in Qingdao was arrested for the January 2019 molestation of a student during a classroom naptime. The Colombia native was quickly handed a five-year prison sentence.
READ MORE: Beijing Police Detain Female Teacher in Kindergarten Abuse Case
[Cover image via Pexels]
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