Top court reports 78% drop in women and children trafficking cases

China's top court disclosed the details of four major cases related to the trafficking of women and children on Thursday, reaffirming its commitment to imposing severe penalties on offenders, even as the incidence of such crimes has decreased.

According to the Supreme People's Court, from 2012 to 2025, the number of these criminal cases fell by nearly 78 percent, indicating that the country has effectively curbed such offenses.

The top court reiterated its strong stance on punishing these crimes harshly, highlighting the need for stricter penalties — particularly for ringleaders and those involved in serious crimes like child abduction, trafficking multiple victims, or forcing victims into prostitution.

In cases with grave consequences, such as causing death or severe mental distress to victims or their families, the death penalty was applied without hesitation, the court emphasized.

Data from 2021 to 2025 showed that the percentage of trafficking convictions resulting in sentences of 10 years or more was 10 percentage points higher than the rate for all criminal cases.

One case disclosed and highlighted by the top court involved an individual surnamed Wang, who was sentenced to death for trafficking more than 10 children.

Wang began abducting and trafficking children in October 2001. He was initially sentenced to three years in prison in 2006 for kidnapping a child. After his release in July 2008, Wang resumed his criminal activities, leading to a 15-year sentence in December 2015 for trafficking three other children.

While he was serving his sentence, further investigations revealed that between October 2001 and May 2010, he was involved in the abduction and sale of 11 additional children under the age of 6 from various provinces, including Hunan, Hubei, and Sichuan, to Guangdong province. Wang profited approximately 199,000 yuan ($28,955) from these crimes.

Wang's actions had severe psychological and financial impacts on the victims' families, leading some to divorce or attempt suicide.

Given the large number of children he abducted and trafficked, the particularly heinous nature of his crimes, his role as a ringleader, and his status as a repeat offender, he was finally sentenced to death and recently executed.

The top court stated that capital punishment underscores the judiciary's firm stance against child traffickers and serves as a warning to those who might seek to profit from such criminal activities.