Public notices revealing names in prostitution case stir debate

WUHAN - A public notice disclosing the personal information of people involved in a prostitution case in Hubei's provincial capital has aroused national controversy over privacy issues.

The Hongshan police sub-bureau pasted a special public notice about a June 26 raid of a local massage parlor along the streets in the Chenjiawan community on July 7.

The notice said the sex worker and patron were both sentenced to one year of detention education. The establishment's owner had been put in administrative detention for 15 days before being transferred to a criminal detention facility on July 6 on charges of "sheltering prostitution". The parlor's hostess, who fled the scene, has been put on a law enforcement wanted list.

The notice revealed the offenders' personal information, including their names and ages.

Many community residents, who had long been concerned about the their neighborhood's increasingly negative reputation, applauded the move.

"Shame on the prostitution!" Changjiang Commercial Daily quoted a local resident surnamed Liu as saying.

"Their names should be publicized, and people should loathe and despise them."

However, most believe publicizing the offenders' real names is a violation of their privacy.

The news story became one of the most commented upon online. A survey on sina.com, the country's largest news portal, found 60.3 percent of the 101,758 netizens polled by 6 pm on Sunday believed that publicly revealing offenders' real names is a violation of privacy.

Only 36.2 percent of those surveyed supported the move, saying it will help deter illegal activities, such as prostitution.

Changjiang Commercial Daily quoted a lawyer surnamed Gu as saying the police acted in accordance with law.

"Because the offense was proven, there was no invasion of privacy," Gu said.

But another lawyer, Zhang Wanying, believed the move was inappropriate.

"Even criminals have the right to privacy," Zhang said.

Henan Provincial Party School professor Zhang Tingyin told China Daily the issue should be viewed from two perspectives - that of the individual and that of society.

"On the level of the individual, the offenders' privacy has been violated and it may have negative impacts on their future lives," he explained.

"On the level of society, labeling them as criminals involved in prostitution subjects them to social discrimination."

In a similar case, the publication of two sex workers' and two patrons' photographs by media in Dongguan, Guangdong province, aroused online controversy over the weekend.

A radio and television station in Dongguan's Qingxi township included three photographs of offenders in a report on a July 5 raid. When the photographs were posted online, a thread at Mop.com questioning their release sparked heated controversy, with most Web users opposed to publicizing the photos.

China Daily

(China Daily 07/19/2010 page4)