Chongqing - The Chongqing prosecutorial team dedicated to protecting minors and preventing juvenile delinquency has been honored with the "Role Model of the Times" award, recognized for its approach that blends legal rigor with compassionate support for teenagers.

"We are handling not just cases, but the future of children," said a team representative. Since 2004, their mission has been to ensure that justice is both firm and caring, offering a second chance to those in need.

Chongqing Prosecutorial Juvenile Protection Work Team. (Photo/Chongqing People's Procuratorate）

Beyond the case file

The foundation of this approach is a deep concern for the person, not merely the swift resolution of the case. Simply "handling a case for the case's sake" risks merely labeling a child, failing to effect real change. To redirect a child who has strayed, one must reach into their heart and reshape their core values, transforming legal statutes into internal moral principles. 

To achieve this, the team established a "Three-Heart" philosophy (patient education, compassionate influence, genuine redemption) and built five major systems(case handling, assistance and education, prevention, protection, institution building).

Initiatives like the "Sister Sha" outreach program, entering detention centers, schools, communities, and government offices, created tailored mechanisms that light the path back for lost youth.

On May 26, 2025, members of the Chongqing People's Procuratorate's "Protecting the Minors" team conducted a legal education activity at Liangjiang Mingju First Primary School in Beibei District, Chongqing. (Photo/Chongqing People's Procuratorate）

The results speak volumes: Since 2018 alone, with the team's guidance, thousands of minors involved in crime in Chongqing have turned their lives around and reintegrated into society. Success stories include a former young offender becoming a major crayfish farmer, a former street youth turned firefighting hero, and others who returned to school and gained university admission. These stories of renewed hope embody the team's promise to "never give up on a single child."

Innovating systems, expanding protection

"Saving one child is a duty; preventing millions from being harmed is a mission." The team's dedication extends beyond individual case compassion to the courage of institutional innovation.

For instance, through their efforts, China's first provincial-level "one-stop" inquiry and assistance center for underage victims was established in August 2019 at Chongqing Municipal Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine. In this safe, warm, and private haven, victimized children can receive medical checks, psychological counseling, and case inquiries in a single, trauma-informed setting. By September 2020, the Supreme People's Procuratorate had promoted related standards nationwide based on this model.

Similarly, in 2019, the team facilitated a collaboration between the Chongqing People's Procuratorate and the Chongqing Municipal Education Commission to create the nation's first provincial-level platform for screening prospective school employees. This mandatory "security check" comprehensively screens for criminal records. The system has since been expanded to cover all institutions with close contact with minors, such as shelters and orphanages, protecting more children behind this strengthened gate.

Members of the Chongqing Procuratorate's "Protecting the Minors" team are studying a case involving minors together. (Photo/Chongqing People's Procuratorate）

Growing a culture of care

The ultimate evolution of this approach lies in forging social consensus and pooling protective resources. 

By breaking down departmental silos and constructing a comprehensive protection framework, the team has helped synchronize judicial protection, school education, family responsibility, and social care. These efforts aim not only to protect one or two generations but to shape a mainstream social value system that cherishes childhood and respects the future.

The collective force is significant. The team members now serve as vice principals for legal affairs in over 400 primary and secondary schools, providing regular legal education to over 4 million students, parents, and teachers. They have also taken legal education to more than 100 villages, consciously tilting resources towards remote rural areas.

On April 9, 2025, the team member Tang Huanran interacted with the students during the lesson. (Photo/Chongqing People's Procuratorate）

From an initial core of 7, the team has grown into a 500-strong specialized force within the Chongqing procuratorate, supported by over 1,600 volunteers, 40-plus professional social work organizations, and over 100 psychological consultants. 

This greatly strengthens the synergy between the "Six Protections" – family, school, society, network, government, and judiciary.

This group of prosecutors guards the healthy growth of minors with the authority of the law and the warmth of justice. They helped build a broader culture of protection, proving that justice for the young begins with never giving up on them.