More cities establish database to protect minors from abusers

Prosecuting departments in Guangzhou, South China's Guangdong province, have recently set up a database of people charged with sexual abuse of minors, preventing them from getting education-related jobs.

The Guangzhou People's Procuratorate, which launched the database in early June, blacklisted more than 400 people, adding the southern city to many other cities such as Shanghai that have databases of such kind.

According to the procuratorate, education entities have to submit the list of people to be scrutinized to the prosecuting departments and only the latter could log onto the database to check the information and revert to the entities.

Apart from Guangzhou, Shanghai, Cixi in Zhejiang province and Huaian in Jiangsu province also have similar database to prevent abusers from working in industries related to minors.

Shanghai piloted a database in Minhang district in July 2017. The system has screened 11,000 employees and 1,000 newly recruited staff members in target sectors. The blacklist had about 3,800 sex abusers in January this year.

In February, the Supreme People's Procuratorate put forward a proposition of establishing a database and inquiry system of people who have sexually abused minors in a reform planning among prosecuting departments.

Official data showed that prosecuting departments across the country have issued arrest warrants against 54,200 in cases of harming juveniles and prosecuted 67,600 since 2018.

Ruan Qilin, a professor from China University of Political Science and Law, said the database like Guangzhou's was essential for the prevention of different forms of sexual crimes against minors.

He said the offenders are prone to recommit similar offenses when they return to the society, and the minors are a more vulnerable social group as they are unable to protect themselves.