Supreme People’s Court announces executions as part of strong crackdown on child sexual abuse

BEIJING — China carried out the execution of three men on the same day after the Supreme People’s Court upheld their death sentences for severe sexual crimes against children.

The court made the cases public, framing the executions as part of a strict zero-tolerance policy toward child sexual abuse. Authorities described the simultaneous punishments as a clear message: there will be no mercy for those who harm children.

The three convicted men were responsible for particularly heinous offenses:

• The first man operated an illegal education center where he held dozens of children captive and sexually assaulted at least eight girls under the age of 14.
• The second man posed online as a talent scout and lured nine children — including a child with a disability — to private meetings where he assaulted them.
• The third man was a repeat offender who had previously served time for rape. After his release, he infiltrated more than 20 school chat groups, sexually assaulted multiple girls under 14, and filmed the attacks to blackmail the victims into silence.

The Supreme People’s Court stated that these executions serve as a strong deterrent and signaled that further crackdowns on crimes against children are forthcoming.

The action highlights China’s firm stance on capital punishment for the most serious crimes involving minors, contrasting sharply with ongoing debates in countries such as the United States over the use of the death penalty for child rape cases.