The families of children rescued from beggars on the streets of Beijing are being urged to use legal aid to sue the youngsters' kidnappers.

By calling the capital's long-running 12348 hotline, impoverished victims from across China can get free consultations and services from the Beijing Legal Aid Center.

The reminder comes after intense media coverage of a campaign to rescue youths from the clutches of criminal gangs, with citizens encouraged to take pictures of street children and share them on the Internet.

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While public security officials are taking care of the crackdown on human trafficking, legal aid teams are focusing on getting compensation for victims. Established in 1999, the hotline is answered around the clock and provides access to about 1,000 attorneys.

"We can offer legal advice, draft legal documents and work as agents in court," said Ge Rong, at Baocheng Law Firm, a member of aid center.

Only children found in Beijing or those with permanent residency in the capital are eligible for the help. However, Ge explained that legal representatives of village and neighborhood committees can apply on behalf of the minors, which could help reduce costs.

Another potential problem, though, is the requirement that plaintiffs must provide proof of the affected child's identity, as well as a certificate that states he or she comes from a poor family.

"The system is well intentional but some victims will slip through the cracks as it doesn't recognize the difficulty people face in getting a poverty certificate (from the necessary authorities)," said Ge.

Baocheng Law Firm is yet to receive a case involving a kidnapped child beggar, he added. "It takes time for cases to get into the litigation process."

Police officers nationwide have rescued more than 9,300 kidnapped children since April 2009.