China punishes 19,000 criminals for violating children's rights

BEIJING - Over the last five years, Chinese courts nationwide have heard 18,860 criminal cases of violating juveniles' rights and 19,248 people have been punished.

Such violations included child trafficking, child molestation, forcing children into organized begging, and seducing young girls into prostitution, according to a statement by Supreme People's Court (SPC) Friday.

In addition, a total of 8,680 criminals have been punished by the courts for spreading obscene content among juveniles, the SPC said.

The SPC also unveiled 10 typical cases the courts had handled regarding using the Internet to violate minors' rights, pledging to create a clean online environment for children.

Noting that juveniles are more vulnerable to online violations and crime, Jiang Qibo, director of the SPC research office, said the courts will strengthen judicial protection of children through more diligent trials, improved judicial policies, and enhanced coordination among relevant departments.