Zero tolerance for sexual assault against minors: top procuratorate

BEIJING, Feb. 23 (Xinhua) -- China's Supreme People's Procuratorate (SPP) Wednesday urged procuratorates across the country to have zero tolerance for sexual assault against minors and increase assistance for juvenile victims.

The top procuratorate said it would coordinate with the Ministry of Public Security and other authorities to intensify the crackdown on sexual assault against minors and strengthen the prevention of such crimes.

China's procuratorial organs have been facilitating schools to set up mechanisms of criminal background checks for job candidates and preventing sexual assault, sexual harassment, and bullying on campus, said Na Yanfang, a prosecutor with the SPP.

More than 39,000 prosecutors worked as vice-principles in charge of law issues at over 77,000 schools across the country in 2021, said Na.

In 2021, procuratorial organs nationwide approved the arrest of around 46,000 persons for the suspected crime of assault on minors and handled 10,719 judicial assistance cases for juveniles, Na said.