Sex offenders prey on left-behind kids (2)

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Li Xinru (second right) with her fellow students at the primary school in Yangfan village, Shanxi province. Zhang Yuchen / China Daily

Ignorance, humiliation

Some cases never come to light because the families fear the public humiliation that can accompany revelations, but other factors are also in play, including ignorance.

"The (sex) education children receive is usually inadequate. Some of the kids don't even understand what has happened to them," said Zhou Liping, director of the children's health department at Shanxi Children's and Women's Hospital.

There are no reliable statistics about the sexual abuse of children because the figures only relate to cases that are reported and go to trial. "Many children have been sexually assaulted, but we have no idea of the exact number," admitted Han.

Even the figures that are available may not tell the true story because the method of case classification makes assessment almost impossible.

"One reason is that the cases are divided into different categories, such as 'school-based sexual abuse' or 'rural sexual harassment'. The personal circumstances of the children are not stated explicitly, so it's hard to know whether they are members of the 'left-behind' group or not," said Han.

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