China's top legislature will study the possibility of abolishing the crime of "soliciting underage prostitutes" after China's top judicial authorities showed support to the move, a deputy to the National People's Congress (NPC) said Monday.
3月2日，全国人大代表孙晓梅表示，中国最高司法机构支持废除“嫖宿幼女罪”，全国人大将研究该做法的可行性。
Sun Xiaomei is a committee member of the All-China Women's Federation who has made continuous appeal for the abolition of the crime of soliciting underage prostitutes since 2010.
全国妇联执委孙晓梅从2010年开始，就不断提议废除嫖宿幼女罪。
She told Southern Metropolis Daily that the NPC, China's top legislature, gave a response to her proposal, saying they would seriously consider the possibility of abolishing the "crime of soliciting underage prostitutes" when revising China's criminal law.
她告诉《南方都市报》，我国最高立法机关全国人民代表大会答复了她的提议，在修订刑法时，他们会慎重考虑废除“嫖宿幼女罪”的可行性。
The Supreme People's Court (SPC) pointed out last year that if offenders, who sexually assaulted girls aged under 14, were then charged with this crime, then these girls would be labeled as "prostitutes," which will damage their reputation.
去年，最高人民法院（SPC）指出，如果犯罪分子性侵不满14岁的女孩，便会受到该罪名的指控，那么这些女孩便会被贴上“妓女”的标签，这样就损坏了她们的声誉。
According to official statistics, 255 people were charged with the crime between 2010 and 2013.
根据官方统计，2010至2013年间，有255人受到该罪名的指控。
The crime of soliciting prostitutes under 14, which was written into China's criminal code in 1997, can carry a sentence of five to 15 years' jail, but the crime of rape may see a sentence from three years to the death penalty.
嫖宿不满14岁幼女罪于1997年写入中国刑法，罪犯将被判处5到15年的有期徒刑，而犯强奸罪则可能被判处3年以上的有期徒刑，甚至死刑。
The SPC had said that abolishing the crime of soliciting underage prostitutes is fundamental to solve the chaotic overlap of the crimes of rape and underage prostitution.
最高人民法院曾指出，废除嫖宿幼女罪是解决强奸罪和嫖宿幼女罪混乱重叠的根本。