It is a scandal, but more than that, it is an outrage. Teenagers were coerced with threats of violence into having sex with local officials in Xishui county, Southwest China's Guizhou province. Then comes the controversy over what charges the officials should face: the crime of having sex with underage "prostitutes" or that of rape?

While the case against the offenders is yet to proceed further, another scandal has erupted. This involves local village heads and business people in the city of Lishui, Yunnan province, also in the southwest, who allegedly raped 19 high school girls. Immediately after that, the local tax bureau chief in Yibin county of Sichuan province was caught for having paid 6,000 yuan to "buy" sex from a 13-year-old student.

There is enough reason for both online and other media to react strongly when the seven culprits were charged with only the crime of buying sex from girl prostitutes. The argument is that there should be enough reason to charge the officials involved with the crime of rape as the girls were forced to provide sex and because they are not in the business of commercial sex. Moreover, as the exploited girls are under the age of consent, it would be both cruel and perverse to slander them as "prostitutes".

Considering the physical infliction and psychological injury that these girls have suffered, whatever charges the seven men face, their crime is most unforgivable. The stigma and the trauma of the victims can probably never be healed. And, it is quite likely that the future of these girls will be ruined.

Sexual exploitation of children is rated the most despicable act in the country's traditional culture and described as bestial. Hence, traditional ethics and norms require that no leniency is permissible for such a crime.

China's Criminal Law clearly specifies that those having sex with children should be charged with rape. A judicial interpretation released in 2003 stipulated that having sex with children without knowing that the girl is underage does not constitute the crime of rape. However, the interpretation was suspended because of strong opposition from judicial experts.

The fact that the officials explicitly asked for underage girls, as admitted by the kingpin of the prostitution ring, is convincing evidence that the offenders knew what they were doing.

Recurrent reports of sexual abuse of underage girls suggest that it has become an increasingly hard task to protect teenage girls from becoming a prey to sexual abuse by unscrupulous elements, especially those in power.

The general public is watching closely whether the punishment meted out to these offenders are exemplary and such as to deter others from laying their hands on underage girls. Any leniency in dealing with such criminals will be seen as being unreasonable circumvention of the law, if not de facto connivance.

Local governments must do whatever they can to help these girls recover from their trauma and help with mental rehabilitation, including relocation to another

(China Daily May 20, 2009)