BEIJING (ANN/CHINA DAILY) – China’s leading prosecutors will work with pertinent departments this year to create guidelines for managing the approval and prosecution of cases involving serious violent crimes perpetrated by minors, officials from the Supreme People’s Procuratorate announced.
At a press conference on Friday, Deputy Procurator-General Gong Ming announced that the SPP and other departments will also research and create guidelines this year aimed at enhancing tiered intervention and correction for criminal and wrongful behaviors displayed by minors. China has historically maintained the principle of “education first, punishment second” in addressing juvenile crime.
Last year, juvenile crime faced significant examination after two teenage boys were convicted of murdering their classmate over money in Handan, Hebei province. One boy received a life sentence, while the other got 12 years. The offenders and the victim were all 13 when the crime occurred in March.
Meanwhile, last year, procuratorial authorities escalated their efforts to combat adults who manipulate, lure or encourage minors to participate in criminal acts, said Xian Jie, head of the SPP’s office for minors’ affairs.
The SPP has also ensured that those who commit serious crimes against minors — including violent assault, rape, sexual assault, abduction and trafficking — will be severely punished in accordance with the law, Xian said.
Procuratorial authorities approved the arrest of suspects in more than 43,000 cases involving crimes against minors and prosecuted over 55,000 such cases in 2024, Gong said.
Between January and November 2024, prosecutors sent specialists to engage in inquiries concerning over 21,000 significant and intricate cases involving minors. Xian stated that they also oversaw the processing of cases involving crimes against minors for nearly 1,900 individuals and addressed missed arrests for about 900.
Additionally, 400 protests were lodged against court rulings in cases where adults committed crimes against minors in the first 11 months of 2024, she added.
Procuratorial authorities have likewise taken an active role in public interest litigation to protect minors and uphold their rights.
“The procuratorial organs take a problem-oriented approach, focusing on issues such as food safety around school campuses, minors’ personal information security and internet cafes admitting minors — concerns strongly reflected by the public,” Xian said.
Prosecutors have stressed the importance of safeguarding the rights of juvenile offenders and ensuring they face no discrimination in their pursuit of education and employment.
