Top court stresses severe punishment for people who lure and harm children

Chinese courts are intensifying their crackdown on crimes against minors, underscoring a "zero-tolerance" stance with the recent execution of three child rapists, the Supreme People's Court announced.

The top court emphasized its unwavering determination to severely punish child sexual abuse, detailing the cases of the three men executed on Friday after their death sentences were approved.

One of them, identified only as Zhao, exploited his position as an instructor at an illegal education center between April 2018 and March 2019.

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In collaboration with others, he detained dozens of minor students, subjecting them to beatings, verbal abuse, forced labor and confinement.

Zhao also repeatedly raped eight minor female students, including three girls under 14, using psychological control. He forced the victims to take contraceptives over an extended period, leading to gynecological problems in multiple victims.

In addition to rape, Zhao was convicted of intentional injury and fraud.

The Supreme People's Court stated that while combating offenders who use their positions of power to victimize children, Chinese courts have also strengthened efforts against those who exploit the internet to lure and harm children.

In another case, a man surnamed Wang used online platforms between September 2019 and May 2022 to lure elementary and middle school girls by posing as a female student or as a director searching for child actors.

He initially solicited nude and inappropriate photos and videos from the children. Then he used excuses such as "checking their bodies for acting roles" or threats to expose the improper content to meet the victims in person, after which he sexually assaulted and raped them.

Wang harmed nine children, seven of whom were under 14 and one who had developmental disabilities. He filmed the rapes to further coerce and continue the abuse, subjecting some girls to long-term and repeated rapes and severe humiliation. Additionally, he sexually assaulted 10 other girls and one boy.

The third executed individual, Chen, was a repeat offender who had previously been imprisoned for rape.

Between January and April 2022, he posed as a peer and joined over 20 QQ and WeChat groups created by middle school students. He befriended female students in these groups and lured some of them to meet him in person, and then raped them.

Chen raped three girls under 14 a total of seven times and attempted to rape another female student. He filmed the rapes to blackmail the victims into further sexual assaults, causing some to self-harm, attempt suicide or drop out of school.

Furthermore, he organized group rapes of one girl under 14 on three separate occasions and profited by introducing others to rape her.

Chen was ultimately sentenced to death for multiple crimes, including rape, child molestation and extortion.

"The executions for the three criminals this time have demonstrated our courts' resolute stance on severely punishing such offenses, sending a strong message to the entire society that those who harm children will be harshly penalized without mercy," the top court emphasized.

The court urged educational and training institutions that teach children to tighten supervision and improve employee management. It also called on internet service providers to fulfill their cybersecurity obligations by taking measures to eradicate harmful information online and promptly detect and block material that may contribute to the sexual assaults of minors.

Family has a role

The role that families play in protecting minors was also underscored, with the court demanding that parents and guardians fulfill their duties to care for and nurture their children. Failure to do so will result in criminal punishment, it added.

In a case made public last week, a man surnamed Liu was sentenced to 16 months in prison for child abandonment. Following a divorce, he obtained custody of his son but repeatedly and intentionally left the boy in places such as school and the subway between 2018 and 2019.

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Despite receiving education and administrative detention, he continued his irresponsible actions, causing serious harm to his son's physical and mental health.

"Parents are obligated to support, educate and protect their minor children," the top court stated. "After divorce, the parent who has custody should fulfill their duty. Family conflicts or personal issues don't exempt them from that responsibility."

The court clarified that abandoning a child is not a trivial family matter and that parents who refuse to perform their duties and cause great harm to their children will be held criminally liable.

Contact the writer at caoyin@chinadaily.com.cn