Teachers accused of child assault face lifetime ban in China
Educators who have allegedly committed crimes against children such as sexual assault, abuse, abduction and trafficking will be banned for life from China’s education sector, a new guideline shows.
The 10-article guideline issued last week aims to strengthen the protection of minors and eliminate wayward behaviour in schools.
Lauding the guideline, which goes into effect from Tuesday, Beijing lawyer Xu Hao said this will not only protect children but is also good for the education sector.
“Several offences regarding sexual assault occurred on campus in recent years and were found to be committed by educators,” he said. “In a case, for example, a primary school teacher was punished for sexually abusing several girls in his dormitory between 2013 and 2019.”
Prohibiting such people from coming in close contact with children has been highlighted over the past few years when the Criminal Law and the Minor Protection Law were revised, Xu said, adding that “there was still a problem – how long should the ban be and how will it work – that has often confused us in legal practice.
“[But now] I’m glad to see that the guideline provides the answer, that educators who violently or sexually abuse children will face a lifelong ban in the industry,” he said.
Under the guideline, courts are required to clarify the ban in verdicts and inform education authorities responsible for the management of the defendants within 30 days after the rulings become effective.
The move will help education departments and relevant institutes as they conduct background checks on prospective employees and provide a way for the public to remain engaged, the top court said.
Education agencies are required to confiscate the teaching certificates of offenders promptly, while prosecutors should play a supervisory role in determining whether the bans are effective, according to the guideline.
Courts are also allowed to prevent people in the education industry who commit other types of crimes from working closely with children for three to five years, depending on the severity of the crimes.
“The clear workflow among prosecutors, judges and education administrators in the legal document, I believe, will greatly reduce the possibility of those with a child-related criminal record from getting into the education sector,” Xu said.
China Daily
Asia News Network
