China executed three men convicted of serious sexual crimes against minors in May 2025, as the country's top judicial authorities continue to describe their approach to crimes against children as one of 'zero tolerance.'
The Supreme People's Court (SPC) approved the death sentences before the executions of the three men, identified as Zhao, Wang and Chen. Their cases involved repeated sexual abuse of minors and other aggravating circumstances.
The executions came amid a broader judicial push to protect children, with Chinese authorities reporting tens of thousands of prosecutions involving crimes against minors in 2025 and the first half of 2026.
Why Were the Three Men Executed?
The three cases involved serious offences against children, with authorities highlighting the circumstances and repeated nature of the crimes.
Zhao was an instructor at an illegal education centre who detained and repeatedly sexually assaulted eight female students, according to the account released after the executions.
Wang was convicted after targeting children online, obtaining inappropriate photographs and videos and using them to coerce victims into further sexual abuse.
Chen was a repeat offender who had previously served a prison sentence for rape. He used online platforms to target female students and was convicted of repeatedly raping three girls under 14 and organising further sexual assaults.
The cases illustrate the severity of offending for which Chinese authorities have imposed the death penalty in crimes against minors, rather than indicating that every conviction for a sexual offence against a child results in execution.
'Zero Tolerance' for Crimes Against Children
China's top judicial authorities have made the protection of minors a continuing priority.
In March 2026, the SPC and Supreme People's Procuratorate (SPP) said China was maintaining a 'zero tolerance' stance towards crimes against children while also using education and rehabilitation for juvenile offenders.
The SPC said courts concluded 40,000 cases involving crimes against minors in 2025, while 44,000 offenders were convicted. Courts also barred 1,199 people from jobs involving close contact with minors and imposed the death penalty in extremely serious cases involving severe harm to children.
Child Crime Prosecutions Remain a Major Focus
The crackdown has continued into 2026, although official figures show declines in some categories.
During the first six months of 2026, Chinese prosecutors accepted and reviewed about 39,000 juvenile crime cases and prosecuted 33,000 people for crimes against minors, according to the SPP. The number of juvenile crime cases reviewed for prosecution fell 10.3 per cent year on year.
For 2025, prosecutions for crimes against minors fell 2.2 per cent from the previous year, while cases involving juvenile suspects fell 9.8 per cent. Authorities described the simultaneous decline as the first such double decrease in five years.
Harshest Penalties for Crimes Against Children
China's 'zero-tolerance' approach combines severe punishment for serious offences with prevention and wider child-protection measures.
Authorities have increased attention on online risks, school environments and coordinated protection involving families, schools, government agencies, communities and the judiciary.
The May 2025 executions therefore form part of a broader enforcement approach in which particularly serious crimes against children can attract the harshest penalties, while China's judicial authorities continue to emphasise prevention and protection alongside criminal punishment.
