NANNING - A primary teacher has been sentenced to 10 years imprisonment by a court in South China's Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region for the sexual assault of several girls under his care.

Fangchenggang Intermediate People's Court upheld the verdict of the first trial held last year, sentencing the teacher, Su, to 10 years imprisonment for abusing several girls in his class at a city primary school from October 2014 to January 2015. The defendant had appealed on grounds of lack of intent.

The court rejected his appeal, saying the sentence was fair and based on sufficient evidence.

Cases of child sexual abuse by teachers have become increasingly commonly reported in China. The All-China Women's Federation has called for changes to laws and regulations on child protection help vulnerable minors. The federation also wants educational institutions to teach children to recognize, avoid and report sexual assaults.

According to the Foundation of China Culture and Arts for Children, only 300 cases of child sexual abuse were reported in 2015. Assailants in 70 percent of reported cases were known to their victims, suggesting a strong need to make children aware of the danger and to learn how to protect themselves.