China's Supreme People's Procuratorate (SPP) on Monday released a white paper on juvenile prosecution work, showing that both the number of juvenile cases accepted and reviewed for prosecution and the number of crimes against minors declined in 2025 for the first time in nearly five years, CCTV News reported.

The number of juveniles cases accepted and reviewed for prosecution by procuratorial authorities fell by 9.8 percent year-on-year, according to the white paper.

In juvenile delinquency, six types of offenses - theft, group fighting, rape, robbery, provoking trouble, and fraud - accounted for over 70 percent of the total. The number of suspected offenders aged 14 to 16 declined by 13.4 percent in 2025, following a 7.4 percent decrease in 2024. The SPP also approved the prosecution of 24 minors aged between 12 and under 14 for serious violent crimes, sending a clear signal that "young age is not a shield from punishment."

The white paper noted that procuratorial authorities did not approve the arrest of 28,200 juvenile criminal suspects and did not prosecute 38,100 individuals, with non-arrest and non-prosecution rates of 44.5 percent and 40.6 percent, respectively.

Follow-up assistance and rehabilitation were provided for those not arrested or prosecuted, in order to maximize opportunities for education and reform. Relevant authorities also formulated regulations on strengthening specialized schools, specialized education, and corrective education. Criminal records were sealed for more than 71,000 eligible minors, according to CCTV News.

Meanwhile, in 2025, procuratorial authorities nationwide approved the arrest of 56,338 people for crimes against minors, down 1.4 percent year-on-year, and prosecuted 72,807 people, down 2.2 percent, according to the white paper.

Among them, 42,873 people were prosecuted for sexual offences against minors, including rape and child molestation, down 5.5 percent year-on-year, while 38,384 people were prosecuted for crimes against children under the age of 14, down 6 percent, both marking the first decline in nearly five years, according to the white paper.

Procuratorial authorities enforced a "case-by-case review" system and held over 400 responsible persons accountable for failing to fulfill mandatory reporting duties that led to serious consequences. The SPP also guided authorities in East China's Zhejiang and Shandong provinces into mandatory reporting compliance in cases including a 9-year-old girl in Wenzhou allegedly killed as a result of domestic abuse and a 9-year-old boy in Qingdao allegedly abused, and urged accountability in accordance with the law.

The white paper said procuratorial authorities fully leveraged their criminal, civil, administrative and public interest litigation functions, stepped up protection of minors' rights in areas such as guardianship, personality rights, inheritance and support, and strengthened the effectiveness of supervision orders on guardianship.

Global Times