Personal touch helps juvenile offenders

TIMELINE

January 2013: The revised Criminal Procedure Law takes effect. It adds 11 articles focused on handling juvenile cases. For example, it states that the record of crimes committed by those age 18 and younger whose sentences are less than five years should be sealed, and stipulates that social surveys and psychological aid also need to be included when dealing with cases involving juveniles.

October 2018: The Supreme People's Procuratorate issues its top procuratorial suggestion in which it calls for greater efforts to improve a system aimed at preventing children from being sexually assaulted, with more inspections on the issue in schools and heavier punishment of offenders.

May 2020: The SPP, along with eight government agencies, including the Ministry of Public Security and the Ministry of Education, issues a guideline on establishing a compulsory reporting system for cases of infringement on minors. The guideline stipulates that staff members at schools, hospitals, hotels and other industries closely related to children should immediately report to public security organs when they discover evidence that minors have suffered or it is suspected that they have been harmed.

March 2021: An office that specializes in improving the work of juvenile tribunals and promoting hearings of juvenile-related cases is established in the Supreme People's Court, China's top court, as a move to improve child protection and development.

June 2021: The revised Minor Protection Law takes effect, building an all-around protective environment for children, including in government agencies, schools and internet enterprises. It also responds to several hot issues involving children, such as campus bullying and sexual assault. The Law on the Prevention of Juvenile Delinquency also takes effect, specifying that children who commit serious offenses should be rehabilitated and given special education.

January 2022: The Family Education Promotion Law comes into effect, stipulating the duties of guardians and society in terms of family responsibility, State support, social collaboration and legal liability. It requires parents to improve their teaching skills, with attention to children's physical, psychological and intellectual development and their right to voice their opinions.