[3] Minors are not allowed in these places!

Compiled from: Southern Metropolis Daily, N Video, Beijing Daily App
 
Normal life is currently recovering, and leisure and entertainment venues are gradually warming up. Some parents want to take their children to KTV to sing; however, both parents and children do not yet know that this is prohibited by law. According to the newly revised and implemented "Law of the People's Republic of China on the Protection of Minors," KTV is not allowed for minors.

 
 

Case review
Earlier, prosecutors from the First Branch of the Beijing Municipal Procuratorate went to inspect a KTV in Chaoyang District. The visiting prosecutors walked around but did not see any 'Minors Prohibited/Restricted' signs, so they asked the front desk staff and learned that the sign was on the wall opposite the elevator. The prosecutors returned to the elevator entrance to check carefully and found a reflective metal plaque mounted high on the black wall opposite the elevator; in the dim lighting, it was very difficult to read the words on it. 'I am 1.8 meters tall, and I wouldn’t have noticed the minors-prohibited sign without looking up, so children would surely not see it.'

 
 

Subsequently, the prosecutor discovered that in a private room, a middle-aged man was singing with his teenage daughter and seven or eight-year-old son. After the prosecutor gave legal advice and guidance, the father said he accepted it: 'So this is how the law is stipulated. I won't bring my children next time!'
 
Some KTVs were also found to be violating laws and regulations. A group of seventeen- or eighteen-year-old middle school students went to a KTV to sing and celebrate a classmate's birthday. Although only one 18-year-old student showed their ID and the others did not, the staff still allowed the children to enter.
 
At another KTV, a 16-year-old boy came to sing with his father and drank too much. He went outside and assaulted others, suspected of the crime of picking quarrels and provoking trouble.
 
The prosecutor stated that if KTV operators find minors accompanied by their parents, they should stop it in time. Operators who sign a letter of commitment and knowingly violate the rules again will be severely punished.
 
 
《 [1] The People's Republic of China Law on the Protection of Minors
Article 58
Business entertainment venues, bars, Internet cafés, and other places unsuitable for minors are not allowed to be set up around schools and kindergartens. Operators of business dance and entertainment venues, bars, Internet cafés, and other places unsuitable for minors must not allow minors to enter; gaming equipment in amusement venues must not be provided to minors except on national statutory holidays. Operators should place signs indicating that minors are prohibited or restricted in prominent locations; if it is difficult to determine whether someone is a minor, they should be asked to show identification.

 
 

 
[1] The author's perspective
With the opening up of society and the development of the economy, entertainment venues such as KTVs, internet cafes, and even bars have gradually infiltrated children's lives. Many parents believe that there is no problem as long as they accompany their children to these places. However, the law stipulates that minors are restricted from entering such venues, yet many people are unaware of this, and even the venue operators have not checked customers' identities as required. This shows that although the law has already been established, there are still certain loopholes in its actual enforcement. Relevant departments need to strengthen supervision and legal education, making parents realize the seriousness of the issue and enabling venue operators to operate legally.
 
In fact, restricting minors from entering such venues is not only a protection of their mental health but also for the sake of their physical health. For example, the sound levels in KTVs and bars often exceed normal values, which may cause irreversible damage to the developing hearing and bodies of minors. On the other hand, minors' psychological development is not yet mature, and they may be unable to distinguish right from wrong when faced with certain temptations. Therefore, all sectors of society should intensify efforts to ensure the protection of minors is effectively implemented.