Charity to ‘babysit’ children of convicts
Print Edition
A LOCAL court has some bad news for criminals who believe they can avoid a jail sentence because they have a baby to look after.
A charity, Shanghai Rainbow Juvenile Development Center, has been entrusted by Jing’an People’s Court with looking after the children of criminals while they serve their time.
A prosecutor who requested anonymity told Shanghai Daily that offenders are commonly released if they are carrying a baby during the commission of a crime. This is because of the expense and time involved in finding a guardian, and the absence of rules governing the expenses involved and who can take custody.
“Top offenders include recidivist thieves, mostly women, from Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region,” she said. “Sometimes offenders who have committed serious crimes, like drug traffickers, are basically immune from punishment if they are caught with their babies.”
Wang Gui, a recidivist pickpocket from outside Shanghai, was the first criminal with a child to be jailed under the new measure, the court said.
Wang regularly took his young daughter with him when picking the pockets of commuters. Last November, he was caught and granted bail, and in January, he stole again, pickpocketing a mobile phone from a bus passenger, the court said.
Wang’s relatives and the civil affairs authorities in Shanghai and his hometown were reluctant to accept responsibility for the girl’s care, prompting the court to ask the Shanghai Rainbow Juvenile Development Center to help.
Wang is now serving a one-year jail sentence.
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