Crime of soliciting underage prostitutes may be abolished

China's top legislature will study the possibility of abolishing the crime of "soliciting underage prostitutes" after China's top judicial authorities showed support to the move, a deputy to the National People's Congress (NPC) said Monday.[Special coverage]

Sun Xiaomei is a committee member of the All-China Women's Federation who has made continuous appeal for the abolition of the crime of soliciting underage prostitutes since 2010.

She told Southern Metropolis Daily that the NPC, China's top legislature, gave a response to her proposal, saying they would seriously consider the possibility of abolishing the "crime of soliciting underage prostitutes" when revising China's criminal law.

The Supreme People's Court (SPC) pointed out last year that if offenders, who sexually assaulted girls aged under 14, were then charged with this crime, then these girls would be labeled as "prostitutes," which will damage their reputation.

According to official statistics, 255 people were charged with the crime between 2010 and 2013.

The crime of soliciting prostitutes under 14, which was written into China's criminal code in 1997, can carry a sentence of five to 15 years' jail, but the crime of rape may see a sentence from three years to the death penalty.

The SPC had said that abolishing the crime of soliciting underage prostitutes is fundamental to solve the chaotic overlap of the crimes of rape and underage prostitution.