I'm excited, but a little concerned

At the end of last year, I reported that an amendment to the Law of the People's Republic of China on the Prevention of Juvenile Delinquency had been adopted by the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, the top legislative body.

I was excited because I knew a new chapter in the treatment of juvenile offenders would open soon.

Compared with previous disjointed changes to the juvenile crime law, the new targeted corrective education provided by the amendment will, I think, be better at dealing with offenders and helping them get back on track.

I remember heated discussions among legislators when they began revising the law in October 2019.

Many said they were shocked when they saw the types of violent crimes committed by youngsters－most especially those who had killed their parents－with some insisting that the "promotion of corrective measures for juvenile offenders should not be postponed".

Following that, work on framing the amendment was accelerated. The final version, unveiled in December, was lauded by legal professionals.

For example, Liu Chaoying, a prosecutor who specializes in juvenile cases at the Dongcheng District People's Procuratorate in Beijing, told me that providing rehabilitation in line with the gravity of the offense would help to accurately correct teenagers' mistakes.

Qin Shuo, a judge who presides over juvenile cases at Haidian District People's Court in Beijing, said what impressed her most was the requirement to build special reform schools to provide targeted corrective education for juvenile offenders, and also the establishment of special educational committees to guide the work.

Despite my initial excitement, I became a little anxious－just like Liu and Qin－because the amended law is set to take effect on June 1, but many of the supporting measures are still unclear.

For example, the (overall) guiding committee will consist of at least 14 government departments, including the public security bureau, the procuratorate, the court and the education authority, "but who should play the leading role in the committee is not clear, let alone leaving a running-in period for us", Liu said.

"Also, prosecutors have often met juvenile offenders who have been convicted of crimes but may be exempt from criminal punishment. The new law doesn't allow us to send such children to special corrective schools; only the police can do that," she added, wondering what she should do in a similar situation.

"What we have to do is to urgently interpret and clarify the amended law to make it much easier to implement, because we cannot delay in correcting the mistakes of juveniles."

I agree with that sentiment. As a journalist who has reported on legal matters for more than a decade, I fully understand that a law's effectiveness lies in the correct implementation.

The newly amended law will be no exception. I understand that clarifying laws is a tough job, but that should not be used as an excuse for government and judicial departments to delay the work.

They must take action as quickly as possible, because when the law was revised they all pledged to join hands to help correct juveniles' bad behavior and provide them with more care.

Breaking their word to these children would be tantamount to reneging on a promise to the nation's future.

Moreover, family education must be strengthened and parents should spend more time with their children, talking with them and showing greater patience.

That's because a lack of care by family members or overindulgence by parents have caused juveniles to fall into wrongdoing in many cases.

Compared with giving birth to a child, it is far harder to ensure that they receive sufficient moral education. However, if we choose to bring a new life into the world, we must take responsibility for that choice.