On Tuesday, a local court in Shanghai sentenced a man to six months in prison because he touched two women's breasts on the subway this July. China Daily writer Zhang Zhouxiang comments:

This is the first time a Shanghai court has found someone guilty of public sexual indecency, and it is among the first cases nationwide. Many law experts have hailed the verdict, believing it will help victims of sexual assault better defend their rights.

There are two details that make the case special. First, one of the victims was under 18. Underage girls more easily fall prey to sexual assaults because of their inferior physical strength and lack of social experience, and many young girls dare not speak out after being sexually assaulted.

Second, the case sets a good example of collecting evidence in sexual assault cases. Although the offender tried to flee after committing his offenses, the police and the prosecutor were still able to collect enough evidence to send the man to court.

Just like the chief judge of the case said, it is very hard to collect evidence in such cases because the suspect might commit the assault in areas not covered by monitor cameras. In some past cases, victims have even had to video-record the whole process themselves to get enough evidence to take their assailants to court.

Sexual assaults refer to sexual contact or behavior that occurs without the explicit consent of the victim. But for a long time, women have been reluctant to take action against their assailants because they would lose face and feared suffering in shame. As a result sexual assaults have all too often gone unpunished. Hopefully, this case marks a turning point, and it encourages more women to stand up after being sexually assaulted so the perpetrators receive their due punishment.

The Shanghai court has told women nationwide that justice stands with them in such cases.