Prosecutors pledge to help shield youngsters
By Zhang Yangfei | China Daily | Updated: 2021-06-01 09:53
Procuratorial authorities will fully meet their responsibilities to protect minors and prioritize the quality and effectiveness of such work, an official from China's highest prosecution agency said on Monday.
Shi Weizhong, head of the ninth division of the Supreme People's Procuratorate, was addressing a news briefing a day before revisions to the Minors Protection Law and the Prevention of Juvenile Delinquency Law came into force.
The two laws stipulate that minors' parents shall assume and perform their guardianship duties and that prosecutors will issue "supervisory guardianship orders "to those who fail to do so, urging them to receive guidance and tackle problems caused by ineffective guardianship, Shi said.
He said prosecutors will also give full play to the functions of criminal, civil, administrative and public interest litigation and continue to deepen the comprehensive judicial protection of minors.
To fully implement the revised Minors Protection Law, Shi said it is key to maintain "zero tolerance "toward crimes against minors. The Supreme People's Procuratorate will work with other departments to prevent and punish sexual assaults against minors and jointly formulate judicial interpretations and regulations for dealing with such crimes.
The authorities will also promote a grading system for juvenile misbehavior as part of efforts to prevent young people from reoffending. For minors under the age of criminal responsibility, prosecutors should supervise their cases and urge authorities to send them to special schools for rehabilitation.
The Supreme People's Procuratorate has carried out a special action on the protection of minors across the country, targeting the most prominent problems exposed by the public and making sure minors are protected by their families, schools, society, the internet, government and justice, Shi said.
Data from the top prosecution agency shows that from 2018 to last year, prosecutors approved the arrest of 127,000 minors and prosecuted 171,000.
