On the evening of April 28, 2025, the 72nd session of the BNU Legal Practice Lecture Series was successfully convened at the Haidian Campus of Beijing Normal University. Held in Classroom 207 of Building 7, the event featured a lecture titled "Judicial Practice and Challenges in Handling Cases of Online Indecency Against Minors." The lecture was delivered by Li Siyao, Deputy Director of the Juvenile Prosecution Division at the Haidian District People's Procuratorate. The event was presided over by Professor He Ting, Vice Dean of the BNU Law School. The audience included Associate Professor Li Dongyang from Beijing Police College, along with dozens of undergraduate and graduate students from the Law School.

Prosecutor Li Siyao systematically analyzed the recent surge in cases of remote sexual assault against minors, focusing on several core issues that urgently need to be addressed in judicial practice, including whether judicial authorities should proactively seek victims in the absence of a report from the victim, the normative requirements for evidence collection from minors, procedural handling when legal representatives refuse to cooperate or minors refuse their presence, standards for evidence identification and behavior classification, as well as the legal classification of intrusive sexual acts and the dissemination of private videos. The lecture also provided an in-depth analysis of hot topics such as mental damage compensation, platform responsibilities, real-name systems, and mechanisms for identifying minors, along with practical interpretations of the platform obligations under the "Regulations on the Protection of Minors Online." Prosecutor Li Siyao pointed out that there should be further strengthening of the protection of minors' rights in judicial practice, promoting the organic integration of sex education and internet governance, and effectively enhancing the overall responsiveness to issues of online safety for minors.

Towards the conclusion of the lecture, Prosecutor Li Siyao offered a reflective summary of her experiences in juvenile prosecution, grounding her insights in practical case handling. She emphasized that this field transcends the boundaries of a mere legal profession; it is, at its core, a profound responsibility and a form of emotional guardianship. She noted that juvenile prosecutors must steadfastly adhere to the principle of the "best interests of the minor," striving to strike a delicate balance between punishment and protection. By infusing the judicial process with empathy and care, she argued that prosecutors can safeguard the development of children in the name of the law, thereby fostering the construction of a safer, healthier, and more compassionate child-friendly society.

The lecture featured an engaging Q&A session, where students actively raised questions and Prosecutor Li Siyao offered patient, comprehensive responses. The event concluded successfully amid warm applause from the audience.

In his closing remarks, Professor He Ting summarized the core challenges inherent in juvenile justice. He observed that practitioners often face tensions between safeguarding minors' rights and uncovering the truth of a case, as well as discrepancies between a minor's wishes and their guardians' intentions. To address these complexities, Professor He emphasized that the field of juvenile justice must advance through both theoretical exploration and practical innovation. He called for the continuous refinement of institutional frameworks and operational mechanisms to effectively resolve such conflicts and ensure the comprehensive protection of minors' legal rights.

Typesetting: Xu Yiyang

Editor: Shi Tianyu