Repeated cases of child abuse   in China have shocked the country. They also have led to more protection of children's rights. But rights activists say the government and private groups need to do more to help children in need. A small child protection service in Shanghai is trying to stop neglect and violence against children. Gege is seven years old. She has been homeless for almost half her life. Her mother suffers from a mental condition. They lived on the streets in Shenzhen for more than three years. A man named Xiao Xudong learned about Gege. He told her story to the local media   earlier this year. Government officials heard the story and found help for Gege and her mother. The mother began to receive treatment for her mental problems. Gege was sent to a centre for children who had lost both parents. She was later re-united with her father. Her story has a happy ending. But social workers are not yet celebrating. Xiao Xudong spoke on Skype: "We have many child protection organizations, but why do we still have so many children being abused and neglected?" Recently, Chinese newspapers and magazines reported on repeated cases of child abuse in the country. The reports shocked many people and led the government to strengthen measures to protect children's rights. Xie Chang'e is a lawyer. She offers legal assistance at a child protection service called Hope Home. Ms. Xie said that China has laws to protect children's rights. But the laws are often unclear, she added, and difficult to put into effect. However, the government is starting to recognize the problems in the child welfare system. New rules state that parents or legal guardians who sexually abuse, sell, abandon or violently hurt children will lose their legal right to care for them. Ms. Xie supports the new regulations. She says they are a good way to help protect children. But she says police and other officials do not know about the regulations or do not always follow them. She also notes that the new regulations have the force of law, but they have not yet been written into laws. What causes the laws to protect children's rights to be ineffective?
The laws are so complicated that people don't understand them. The laws are so general that they are hard to put into effect. The laws are often ignored by the government. The laws are not practical.