Chapter  17 Offenses Against Marriage and Family

Article 237
A person who has a spouse and marries again or who marries two or more persons at the same time shall be sentenced to imprisonment for not more than five years; the other party to such marriage shall be subject to the same punishment.

Article 238
A person who by fraudulent means enters into a void or voidable marriage which is declared void or is annulled by final decision shall be sentenced to imprisonment for not more than three years.

Article 239
A married person who commits adultery with another shall be sentenced to imprisonment for not more than one year; the other party to the adultery shall be subject to the same punishment.

Article 240
A person who abducts a male or female under the age of twenty to leave his or her family or another who has the custody of the male or female shall be sentenced to imprisonment for not more than three years.
A person who abducts a married male or female to leave their family shall be subject to the same punishment.
A person who for purpose of gain or for purpose of causing an abducted person to submit to an obscene act or to sexual intercourse commits the offense specified in one of the two preceding paragraphs shall be sentenced to imprisonment for not less than six months but not more than five years; a fine, in addition thereto, of not more than one thousand yuan may be imposed.
An attempt to commit an offense specified in the three preceding paragraphs is punishable.

Article 241
A person who forcibly abducts from his family or from another who has the custody a male or female who is under the age of twenty shall be sentenced to imprisonment for not less than one year but not more than seven years.
A person who for purpose of gain or for purpose of causing an abducted person to submit to an obscene act or to have sexual intercourse commits an offense specified in the preceding paragraph shall be sentenced to imprisonment for not less than three years but not more than ten years; in addition thereto, a fine of not more than one thousand yuan may be imposed.
Abduction of a male or female person under the age of sixteen shall be considered as forcible abduction.
An attempt to commit an offense specified in one of the three preceding paragraphs is punishable.

Article 242
A person who transports an abducted person specified in one of the two preceding articles beyond the territory of the Republic of China shall be sentenced to life imprisonment or imprisonment for not less than seven years.
An attempt to commit an offense specified in the preceding paragraph is punishable.

Article 243
A person who for the purpose of gain or for purpose of causing an abducted person specified in Article 240 or 241 to submit to an obscene act or to sexual intercourse, receives or harbors such an abducted person or causes him to be concealed shall be sentenced to imprisonment for not less than six months but not more than five years; and, in addition thereof, a fine of not more than five hundred yuan may be imposed.
An attempt to commit an offense specified in the preceding paragraph is punishable.

Article 244
A person who commits an offense specified in Article 240 or 241 and who returns the abducted person or reveals the location of such a person resulting in his recovery before a decision has been pronounced may have his punishment reduced.

Article 245
Prosecution for an offense specified in Articles 238 and 239 and paragraph 2 of Article 240 may be instituted only upon complaint.
A spouse who connives or forgives the offender of Article 239 has no right to complaint.