A police photo of a sexual offender who tried to harass a woman on the subway /Photo via WeChat account of Shenzhen police
Netizens are praising police in south China’s Shenzhen City for its operation to crack down on sexual harassment on the subway while not victim shaming women for wearing what they want.
In the article posted on its official WeChat platform, the police department released its latest results on the crackdown of gropers in the city’s subway.
A total of 29 suspects of sexual harassment or who infringed upon the privacy of females by taking their pictures on the subway were detained by local police. Authorities captured 20 at the scene, while the others were apprehended thanks to riders and intelligence efforts.
A large number of police also went undercover at different stations to look for potential criminals, especially during morning and evening peak hours when the subway is crammed with people.
Police say that any suspect who shows signs of committing sexual harassment would be captured on the spot. Authorities also encourage passengers to give tips for tracking down suspects.
The authorities reaffirmed in its WeChat article that it had zero tolerance toward sexual harassment, and spoke out against the harassers instead of urging women to wear appropriate clothing.
“You can wear any beautiful dress you want. Let us deal with the gropers on the subway,” said the police in the article, which Chinese netizens had praised for its focus on the perpetrators instead of the victims.
“If men who sexually harass women are not severely punished, this issue will not go away even if women stay at home and cover their entire body,” commented user @yaoyatou2015 on Sina Weibo.
“This is a responsible society and they are responsible policemen. Telling girls what should or should not be worn is pathetic,” commented another user @zishuijingjia83 on Sina Weibo.
“They really give women a sense of security [when taking the subway]. It is not us that make them become criminals, it is their nature,” said a user @yigenongcunchulaidenvhai on Sina Weibo.
Despite the great outcomes from this initiative, many victims were still hesitant to give details to the police regarding the harassment they received on the subway because they felt ashamed, according to the Shenzhen police.
But authorities urge victims to speak out.
Shenzhen is not the only city in China that has deployed police to tackle sexual harassment on subways.
Beijing launched a similar police task force, nicknamed the “Wolf Hunt Squad.” The squad has apprehended 118 offenders since its establishment in June last year, reported The Beijing News.
