On Nov. 13, 2024, China put three men to death for the sexual abuse of children after the Supreme People's Court approved their death sentences, citing "zero tolerance" for such crimes. One, a former primary school teacher surnamed Guo, had abused six girls under 14 over several years. Another, surnamed Shang, abused eight young girls over nine years. The third, Gong, who ran a small village shop, had abused a girl over roughly five years; she took her own life at 16.
Six months later, on May 16, 2025, three more men were executed. Zhao, an instructor at an unlicensed education center, had mistreated dozens of students and raped eight girls, three of them under 14. Wang lured girls online and harmed nine children. Chen, a repeat offender, found victims through chat groups; three of the girls he assaulted were under 14. The court said those who harm children "will be harshly penalized without mercy."
Chinese law treats sex with a girl under 14 as rape and allows the death penalty in the most serious cases. Executions must be announced but, by law, may not be put on public display; they are carried out by shooting or lethal injection. Since 2007, every death sentence has required the Supreme People's Court's approval. Amnesty International calls China the world's leading executioner, believes it puts thousands of people to death each year and says the true number is kept as a state secret.
Sources: Supreme People's Court, China Daily, Xinhua, The Star, Amnesty International