Publicizing info of pedophiles helps protect kids

ON FRIDAY, a local court in Huaian city, East China's Jiangsu province, sentenced four men found guilty of raping and sexually abusing minors. Besides receiving their deserved legal penalties, the court also made their names and other personal information public and forbade them from taking any jobs in the future that would bring them into contact with children. Beijing Youth Daily comments:

Cases involving sexual assaults on minors have shocked people and prompted calls for children to be better protected.

For that reason, judiciaries in certain cities have tried to publicize the personal information of sex offenders of this kind, as well as prohibiting pedophiles from taking certain jobs, so as to prevent them from being around minors.

Last year, the judiciary in Cixi, Zhejiang province, issued an executive guideline on publicizing the information of offenders. While this August, the local government in Minhang district of Shanghai launched a system to limit such criminals from taking certain jobs.

Such moves have provoked heated debate. While many applaud the moves, some argue that they might violate the personal privacy of the criminals and doubt whether they are legal.

Actually, the Criminal Law has a clause that forbids those found guilty of such crimes from taking certain jobs, but this clause is far from sufficient, as it states that only those who "make convenience of their professions to sexually assault minors" should be banned from working with children.

This loophole should be closed by local judiciaries and legislatures.

Besides, the protection of children should come first. The practices in developed countries prove that publicizing the information of those who sexually assault children can effectively prevent these criminals from committing similar crimes again in the future.