BEIJING, Feb. 27 -- Cases of abducting and trafficking women and children continued to drop in China in 2014 because of harsh punishments the country has imposed for the crimes, the Supreme People's Court (SPC) said Friday.

Courts across the country handled 978 cases of trafficking women and children in 2014. The number was 1,313 in 2013 and 1,918 in 2012, according to the SPC.

Sun Jungong, an SPC spokesman, said that the people's courts have imposed harsh punishments for the crimes in line with the law, adding that the crimes seriously violate the rights of women and children, separate families and affect the stability of society.

A total of 12,963 traffickers and buyers have been punished in 7,719 cases from 2010 to 2014. Of those punished, 7,336 received severe punishment, from serving at least five years in prison to the death penalty, according to Sun.

Sun said the number of trafficked children who were abandoned or sold by their parents has now exceeded the number who were kidnapped or abducted.

The crackdown on buying abducted children should be further intensified, he said.

There has also been an increase in cases of abduction and trafficking of foreign women who have been forced into prostitution in some regions, according to Sun, who added that forcing abducted women into marriage still occurs.

He said that the courts will continue to fight crimes and adjust policies according to new circumstances to better protect the rights of women and children.