China moves to curb sexual assaults against children

China on Tuesday asked its schools to educate their children on self-protection against sexual assaults and tighten the review of their teachers' credentials after a spate of sexual assault cases shocked the nation.

The Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Public Security, the Central Committee of the Communist Youth League of China (CYLC) and the All-China Women's Federation, jointly issued guidelines on the prevention of sexual assaults against children.

The guidelines said campaigns must be launched to educate parents on how to protect their children, to raise awareness among children, and to tell victims how to seek help.

Dormitories must be strictly managed and there must be patrols on the campuses, the authorities said.

School principals, teachers and support staff must have the required qualifications, and schools must include ethics into training programs for their staff, according to the guidelines.

The CYLC will start awareness campaigns through the 12355 hotline for children, and offer consultations to children by community workers, lawyers and volunteers

The women's federation will promote awareness of sexual assault prevention for girls, especially those girls left behind by their migratory-worker parents.

China has seen multiple reports of teachers molesting or raping students recently.

A 62-year-old primary school teacher was detained by police in July on suspicion of molesting seven girls and infecting them with venereal diseases, according to media reports.

On June 25, a school principal was sentenced to 18 years in jail for raping and molesting girls in Qianshan County in east China's Anhui Province.