China Justice Observer

中司观察

EnglishArabicChinese (Simplified)DutchFrenchGermanHindiItalianJapaneseKoreanPortugueseRussianSpanishSwedishHebrewIndonesianVietnameseThaiTurkishMalay

Is Sexual Harassment a Crime in China?

Tue, 30 Nov 2021
Editor: C. J. Observer

Sexual harassment is a crime and a tort in China.

Normally, sexual harassment is a tort in China.

According to China’s Civil Code, a person who has been sexually harassed against his will by another person through oral words, written language, images, physical acts, or the like, has the right to request the actor to bear civil liability in accordance with law.

If sexual harassment involves violence, it is a crime.

According to China’s Criminal Law, whoever indecently assaults others or insults a woman by violence, coercion or any other forcible means shall be sentenced to fixed-term imprisonment of not more than five years or criminal detention.

Whoever gathers a number of people to commit the crime mentioned in the preceding Paragraph in public or having other serious circumstances shall be sentenced to fixed-term imprisonment of more than five years.

Whoever indecently assaults a child shall be given a heavier punishment within the range of penalties in the preceding two Paragraphs.

 

 

Cover Photo by 若霖 刘 on Unsplash

Contributors: CJO Staff Contributors Team

Save as PDF

Related laws on China Laws Portal

You might also like

China Revises State Secrets Protection Law

China’s national legislature, the National People’s Congress, revised the State Secrets Protection Law to enhance information classification, secrecy in technological innovation, and precise protection of state secrets, effective May 1, 2024.

China Enhances Legal Aid Law Implementation

In November 2023, China’s Supreme People’s Court and other top judicial bodies jointly issued measures to implement the Legal Aid Law, clarifying responsibilities and ensuring parties' rights to legal aid.