System to facilitate reporting of child abuse

Hospitals in some Chinese cities will be required to report pregnancies involving girls under the age of 14 to law enforcement.

The People's Procuratorate of Huai'an, Jiangsu province, launched the reporting system, together with the local health commission.

When a girl under the age of 14 is found to be pregnant, a red alert will automatically remind the attending doctor to report it to local police or prosecutors.

The compulsory reporting system can help avoid problems such as doctors not knowing how to report, or feeling afraid to report, according to the procuratorate in Huai'an.

The cities of Yixing and Lianyungang in Jiangsu have also installed the reporting system in their hospital medical records systems.

Law enforcement officials and health departments in Changyang Tujia autonomous county in Hubei province held a training course on Wednesday about the compulsory reporting of child abuse.