File Photo: IC

A motion suggesting the creation of a nationwide database on child sexual assault offenders to ensure they would be banned from holding positions related to minors has become one of the most hotly discussed topics online as this year's two sessions kicked off on Thursday following a two-month delay due to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. 

The motion received 1.33 million likes and was forwarded 39,420 times, and obtained 31,490 comments on Weibo as of Thursday night. 

National People's Congress (NPC) deputy Liu Xiya from Southwest China's Chongqing, who put forward the motion, found that many sexual offenses were committed against minors by acquaintances of the victims, such as teachers. And to Liu's surprise, some are repeat offenders following their release from jail due to the access they have to minors as a result of their jobs. 

"Staff recruiting lacks supervision particularly at some after-school facilities and training schools, thus the system needs to be perfected," Liu told the Global Times on Thursday. 

Liu suggested that a nationwide information database with records of the criminals' names, photos, and case details should be established for the reference of kindergartens, primary and middle schools, cram schools, and training schools. Meanwhile, the inter-provincial and inter-regional database would also prevent sex offenders from relocating and committing sexual offenses in other parts of the country.  

"Since cram school market and the training schools in our country are so big, and it's difficult to check job applicants' criminal records in some regions, I think it is necessary to establish such a review mechanism," Liu said. 

According to research on child sexual assaults and education on the prevention of child sex abuse released by the Girls Protection of China Foundation of Culture And Arts For Children, in 2019, of the 212 cases studied, 70 percent of the offenses against children were committed by someone they knew, an increase from the 66.25 percent in 2018. And 76 cases were committed by teachers and education employees. 

"At some training schools and schools without strict management, sexual assaults sometimes can be neglected if a child's self-protection awareness is weak," Liu said. 

On May 9, a male kindergarten teacher surnamed Zou, and a male primary school teacher surnamed Gu from Shanghai received four and eight-year prison sentences for molesting and sexually assaulting children. 

Last October, a kindergarten teacher surnamed Zhang from Baotou, North China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, molested several children when they were taking naps. Zhang received a six-year prison sentence. After he's released, he will be banned from working in the pre-school education and childcare sector for five years. 

According to Liu, a Chongqing regulation prohibits schools from hiring teachers with criminal records.  

"The problem is that while formal schools have strict management, some training institutions don't. But I think if society takes the issue seriously, the problem will be solved," Liu said.