More minors are being victimized and abused on the internet, but young
people are also using the internet in greater numbers to commit crimes,
China's procurator-general said.
In response, prosecutorial authorities have begun promoting
collaboration with multiple sectors for joint management of cyberspace
to protect minors.
Although overall efforts to protect minors have been strengthened
over the years, new and complex crimes involving young people have
emerged recently as the nation forges ahead with its socioeconomic
development, Zhang Jun, procurator-general of the Supreme People's
Procuratorate, told China Daily in an exclusive interview on the
sidelines of the ongoing annual two sessions in Beijing.
Preventing juveniles from committing crimes or being harmed is not
only a legal issue, but also a social one, Zhang said, adding that
procuratorates must shoulder their responsibility in promoting the
overall protection of minors.
According to the SPP, from 2018 to 2022, one-sixth of sex crimes
committed against minors involved "virtual sexual harassment" online or
physical assaults after offenders contacted minors online.
Over the same period, the number of juveniles who were prosecuted for
using the internet to commit crimes increased from 1,127 to 3,225.
"The Communist Party of China and the State have attached great
importance to the protection of minors," Zhang said, citing the report
of the 20th CPC National Congress approved in October. The report, which
emphasized protecting the lawful rights and interests of women and
children, improving mechanisms for collaboration between schools,
families and society on education and improving the system for
conducting comprehensive cyberspace management, has provided important
guidance for the strengthening of the overall protection of minors.
In November 2020, the SPP sent a procuratorial suggestion to the
Ministry of Industry and Information Technology recommending cleaning up
cyberspace for minors.
Last year, the SPP worked with the office of the national working
group for cracking down on pornography and illegal publications to
promote operations to protect youths.
"We adhere to a 'zero-tolerance' policy toward crimes that harm
minors, and suggest strict punishment for people who commit crimes such
as sexual assault, abuse and violence against minors, as well as those
who infringe on minors' rights and interests via the internet," Zhang
said.
In instances where minors are harassed in online chat rooms, the SPP
has issued reference cases to help establish the principle that virtual
and physical molestation are the same. It has also sent suggestions and
initiated public interest litigation to resolve problems such as minors
being addicted to the internet or exposed to inappropriate information.
Prosecutors have been using education as the primary method of
correction for juvenile offenders and punishment as a secondary measure.
"We pay more attention to the protection of juvenile victims' rights
and interests in handling cases, and we have enhanced the legal
supervision of cases involving minors, helping them overcome
difficulties," he said.
However, he added that serious criminal offenses by juveniles will be severely punished.
To ensure the quality and effectiveness of juvenile protection, the
SPP decided in 2021 to centralize the handling of criminal, civil,
administrative and public interest cases involving minors under
specialized juvenile prosecution agencies.
While handling cases involving minors, prosecutorial authorities
should comprehensively look at whether any criminal offenses have
occurred or whether there is suspicion of criminal activity. If a
criminal case is confirmed, they should also assess whether there has
been any harm to the civil, administrative or public interests of the
minors involved in order to protect their legal rights and interests in
an effective and timely manner.
According to the SPP, one-third of public interest litigation cases
relating to minors last year resulted from prosecutorial reviews of
juvenile criminal cases.
"Procuratorial organs will further improve their work and actively
explore multidimensional and integrated methods that are more in line
with the new characteristics of cases involving minors," Zhang said.
To address new problems regarding juvenile protection — including
juveniles committing crimes at younger ages and the lack of proper
guardianship of some offenders — procuratorial organs have tightened
supervision of law enforcement and deepened the cooperation with
different groups such as schools, families and social organizations,
Zhang said.
Family education centers have been established to offer guidance to
minors involved in crimes or who lack guardianship, according to the
SPP.
From 2018 to 2022, prosecutors nationwide visited about 110,000
primary and middle schools, supervised the rectification of about 15,000
risky situations on campuses and improved mechanisms for preventing
sexual assault, harassment and bullying on campuses as well as punishing
offenders.
In 2022, more than 680 people were prosecuted for campus violence and bullying, down 35.6 percent year-on-year.
In 2020, a system was established to check the history of people
hired by industries where employees have close contact with minors. As a
result, more than 6,800 people with criminal records, including sexual
assault, abuse and trafficking, were dismissed.
A mandatory reporting system was also established in 2020 for people
who work with minors, requiring them to report to public security
officials anyone suspected of harming children. A total of 5,300 cases
were detected and handled, and more than 700 people who failed to
fulfill their mandatory reporting obligations were held accountable.
"Procuratorial organs will focus more on preventing and punishing
crimes against minors, work closely with other authorities to actively
integrate judicial protection into other related sectors of protection
and create synergy to safeguard the healthy growth of minors," Zhang
said.
记者：杨泽坤
