Abused children to be assigned temporary guardians

Children who have been abused by their parents should be assigned a "temporary guardian" by the courts while a decision is being made on their future, China's top legislature has said.

A new draft of the general provisions of civil law, which was submitted to the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress for reading on Monday, stipulates that temporary guardianship is a necessity.

It will be discussed during the committee's bimonthly session, which runs from Monday to Nov 7.

According to the draft, individual guardians or organizations — such as village committee, schools, medical institutes, child protection associations and civil affairs authorities — can apply for a parent's guardianship to be revoked in the event of child abuse.

"Before the court makes a decision on who will have guardianship, it should first take the necessary measures to ensure the children involved are protected and guarded temporarily," it said.

Li Shishi, head of the NPC Standing Committee's Legislative Affairs Commission, said such measures will prevent abusive parents causing further harm to their children.

"If a parent whose guardianship is revoked repents his or her harmful behaviors and applies to a court for guardianship to be returned, the court is suggested to return the guardianship if the children involved agree and accept," Li said.