Juvenile delinquency in Beijing decreases; cases of young offenders involved in cybercrimes increased: white paper

The juvenile delinquency in Beijing has shown an overall fluctuating downward trend over the past few years, with the number of young defendants on trial dropping to 96 in 2023 from 229 in 2019, according to a white paper released by the Beijing High People’s Court on Wednesday. The number of young offenders involved in cybercrimes has increased.

The white paper on juvenile trials from 2019 to 2024 at Beijing’s courts shows that 581 cases of first trial involving juvenile delinquency have concluded. Meanwhile, 1,551 cases of the first trial with juveniles’ rights and interests being infringed and 1,731 defendants being sentenced have concluded during the same period.

Among the juvenile delinquency cases, the top three offenses are rape, theft and molestation crimes. Besides, intentional injury, extortion, and the crime of picking quarrels and provoking troubles also account for a certain proportion.

In terms of imprisonment, 33 percent of juvenile offenders were given jail sentences of more than one year but less than three years. The non-custodial sentence rate is approximately 22 percent.

Between 2019 and April 2024, courts in Beijing concluded a total of 25,563 first-trial and second-trial cases involving minors, among which, civil cases accounted for 88.3 percent, criminal cases10.1 percent, and administrative cases 1.6 percent.

The white paper shows that the ages of juvenile offenders are mainly between 16 and 18, accounting for about 92 percent of all juvenile offenders. Minors in this age group are developing rapidly in their physical and mental conditions and they often act impulsively without considering the consequences. Nearly 40 percent of juvenile offenders use violent means to commit crimes.

Besides, sexual assault accounts for a relatively high proportion among all kinds of crimes against minors, with crimes such as forced molestation, humiliation and rape making up more than 70 percent of all crimes.

In recent years, there has been a noticeable upward trend in cases involving cybercrimes and crimes with the internet as the medium trialed at Beijing’s courts.

According to the white paper, currently, minors have a stronger desire and more channels to reach new things on the internet. Harmful information on the internet has a significant negative impact on minors’ physical and mental health.

Because of a lack of judgment and self-control, some minors are prone to inducing crimes that infringe upon personal or property rights and interests due to their addiction to the internet. They are also easily deceived or manipulated, becoming “victims.”

Beijing’s courts have adopted a “zero tolerance” attitude toward all types of crimes that challenge legal and moral boundaries, such as homicide, injury, sexual assault, abduction and abuse, which harm the physical and mental health of minors, and punish criminal activities severely.

More than 20 defendants who severely infringed upon the legitimate rights of minors were sentenced to life imprisonment or given more severe punishment. Over 60 defendants who committed crimes such as abusing minors that they look after or raping or molesting minors have been banned from their professions, among whom 23 were issued lifetime bans.

In terms of punishment, Beijing’s courts adhere to a policy of “tolerance but not indulgence,” fully leveraging the deterrent, cautionary, and educational functions of criminal trials, and paying attention to distinguishing the circumstances in juvenile delinquency cases.

Juvenile offenders with minor subjective malice and minor social harm, especially those who are first-time or occasional offenders, are given lenient or mitigated punishment, whereas a small number of juvenile defendants with deep subjective malice and significant social harm were punished in accordance with the laws.

In recent years, there has been a noticeable increase in specific types of civil and administrative cases involving minors, the white paper shows. Such cases include disputes over custody and visitation arising from parental concealment or abduction of minor children, cases of infringement on campus, sports injuries involving minors, as well as administrative cases related to the rights of minors to survival and development.