For 21 years, a group of prosecutors in southwestern China's Chongqing have been using the law to safeguard fairness and justice in society — and more importantly, applying selfless love and care in order to protect minors and prevent juvenile delinquency.

The team was honored with "Role Model of the Times" by the Party's publicity authority on Monday for its dedication and contribution to protecting teenagers.

In 2004, when Mei Mei and her colleagues started the "Sister Sha" Juvenile Rights Protection Station in the Dadukou district people's procuratorate, she never imagined the project would generate such a significant social impact.

Her work model, known as the Sister Sha mechanism, brings together public departments, schools and communities to tackle juvenile cases while promoting crime prevention and law popularization. The mechanism has been acknowledged and widely promoted throughout the city's procuratorial system.

"Sha is actually the name of one of my earliest group members," Mei said.

To date, 45 Sister Sha juvenile rights protection stations have been established in Chongqing. The community has grown from seven prosecutors to more than 500, and has attracted over 1,600 social volunteers to serve the rights and interests of juveniles.

Juvenile delinquency is a global issue. Chinese procuratorial authorities have been strengthening protection and relief work for minors, as well as cracking down on crimes against them, according to the Supreme People's Procuratorate. In 2024, about 65,000 juveniles were arrested across the country.

In 2004, Mei handled a robbery case involving three juveniles.

"I definitely wouldn't have done it if I had known it was a crime!" cried one of the young defendants, a 15-year-old, at trial.

Mei said the teenager's words of remorse made her realize many young people were ignorant of the law and tend to develop a sense of regret and inferiority after being arrested and sentenced.

"These issues are too complicated for one case to solve. I felt compelled to do something for the young ones who have gone astray," she said.

Prosecutors in Dadukou set up a hotline, mailbox and meeting rooms specifically for young people to explore more ways to promote the rule of law and prevent juvenile delinquency.

Inspired by Mei's work, prosecutors in other parts of Chongqing took similar actions.

Sun Wenjing, a prosecutor at the Chongqing Jiulongpo district people's procuratorate, regularly visited the home of a 16-year-old boy, who was convicted of repeated thefts. Sun helped repair the teen's strained relationship with his father. Two years later, the boy texted Sun: "Thanks for not giving up on me! I have passed the college entrance exam."

"We are not just handling the cases, but also children's lives," said Wu Bo, a prosecutor at the Chongqing Municipal People's Procuratorate Second Branch.

tanyingzi@chinadaily.com.cn