Recently, Private detectives from DeBang Women Rights Protection Center, a private detective agency with headquarters in Sichuan Province, were arrested by local public prosecutors for their forcibly opening the security door of a house with their client Madame Liu, rushing into the bedroom and taking nude photos of Madam Liu’s husband and his extramarital lover. The detectives and the Madam Liu would soon be proposed accusation of illegal trespass on Dwelling House. According to China Criminal Law Clause 245, such crime is subject to 3years or below imprisonment or detention. 

As a legal rule, State Judicial forces shall not intervene with civil activities and disputes, while the fact is , people are limited in corresponding capacity to conduct necessary investigation and can hardly protect their legal rights from violation by their own strength. This make them appeal to a third force, bringing about the development of private detectives. Who Asserts Must Prove as a basic principle of the Civil Proceeding Laws requires the Plaintiff to hand the proof if a win is wanted. Nude photos alike proof might be a part of the proof chains to testify the other Half’s wrong doings. 

Along with the rapid expansion, detectives are face with legal risks. Currently in China, private detectives are not allowed with licenses. The worse is, In 1993, the Ministry of State Public Security specially released a formal Circular on the Prohibition on Opening Private Detectives alike Civilian Organizations, and strictly forbid any units or individuals to open up civil investigation agencies and security affairs agencies. As a countermeasure, the existing detectives all work in the use of guises of information consulting services or industry Investigation centers. Meanwhile, the quality of the detectives in a whole are regarded poor, their performances often go beyond limits and infringe upon persons rights, thus are given stern legal sanction. Moreover, private detectives are outsiders of the system, its development will necessarily conflict with the system. Therefore in a short run, private detectives will still have to walk on sands.

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