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Editor's note:Two widely publicized prostitution cases this month in which alleged prostitutes were paraded in public or had their personal information disclosed have made people criticize the violation of suspects' rights. The Ministry of Public Security has quickly urged local police to protect the privacy of suspected offenders.
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On July 7, along the streets in the Chenjiawan community in Wuhan of Central China's Hubei province, the Hongshan police sub-bureau pasted notices about its recent successful raid of a massage parlor.
The notices revealed the detained prostitutes' and clients' personal information - including their names and ages, as well as addresses and punishments of the sex deals. See the right photo.
In another case, local media in Dongguan of South China's Guangdong province published pictures of two suspected prostitutes and two patrons who had been detained by police on July 3.
In the photo, the girls stood on their bare feet and were both handcuffed while walking in the street. Each was bound with a long rope at the waist while a crowd looked on nearby in broad daylight. Police said later they were just asking the girls to identify the scene.
Forcing prostitutes to show themselves off as offenders in public places is an insult to their dignity and a serious violation of their basic rights.
They may be fined or detained for breaking public security rules, or convicted if their charges so warrant. It is unethical, however, to humiliate them in public. Such actions stem from a clear lack of understanding of the law. [Full story]
Police should follow the letter of the law
Prostitution, no doubt, should be dealt with harshly, but the question is, is it proper for the police to publicize suspects' pictures and names?
Excerpts from a comment in Beijing Times [Full story]
Parade corrupt officials instead
The public parading of prostitutes constitutes an act of extra-judicial punishment. It subjects the prostitutes to humiliation, which in terms of human instinct is more severe than a death sentence.
Ask yourself: Can any person take it in his/her stride, to be paraded down a street without pants? Of course, physically, it causes no harm, but in terms of human feelings, it's worse than death.This type of punishment should be reserved for corrupt officials, not poor women who have nothing to sell, other than themselves, to earn a living.
extra-judicial, on China Daily Website
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