While Korea's "True Education" Is a Fantasy... In China, Even 12-Year-Olds Can Face Life Imprisonment for Brutal Crimes

Clear Differentiation of Punishment Based on Crime Severity
Number of Juvenile Offenders Declines for the First Time in Five Years

While the Korean Netflix drama "True Education" is generating a global sensation, it has been found that juvenile crime rates in China have declined since the country amended its laws to allow for the criminal prosecution of "exceptional juveniles" under the age of 14.

According to local media outlets such as Gye-myeon News on June 23, citing the "40-Year Report on the Development of Juvenile Crime Prosecution in China" released by the Supreme People's Procuratorate of China (hereinafter referred to as the Procuratorate) to mark the 40th anniversary of the establishment of the juvenile prosecution division, "As of last year, the number of juvenile offenders received for retrial and prosecution, as well as those prosecuted by the Procuratorate, decreased by 9.8% and 2.2%, respectively, compared to 2024." This marks the first decline in about five years.

Chinese national flag. Pixabay.

In March 2021, China amended the Criminal Law of the People's Republic of China to introduce an exception allowing minors aged between 12 and 14 who commit brutal crimes such as intentional murder or intentional bodily harm to be criminally prosecuted with the approval of the Chinese Procuratorate. Last year, the Procuratorate approved and prosecuted 24 juveniles aged 12 to 14 for serious violent crimes.

In 2024, the Chinese Procuratorate approved the prosecution of 34 juveniles on charges of serious violent crimes. Among these cases was the murder and burial of a classmate by a middle school student, which once shocked Chinese society.

The Chinese prosecution authorities continue to pursue a "two-track approach," clearly differentiating the severity of punishment based on the gravity of the crime. Since 2018, the Procuratorate has prosecuted approximately 349,000 juvenile offenders. In contrast, 144,000 first-time or relatively minor offenders have been granted (conditional) suspension of prosecution. More than 95% of these juveniles have not reoffended, and over the past five years, guidance, counseling, and intervention programs led by the prosecution have helped about 7,100 of them gain admission to college.

Xi Weizhong, Deputy Procurator-General of the Supreme People's Procuratorate, emphasized, "Crimes committed by minors must be analyzed comprehensively, considering factors such as intent, degree of remorse, and the social impact. Punishments must be both lenient and strict, with clear implementation of appropriate penalties for the crime committed." He also stated that even juveniles under the age of 12 to 14 who commit brutal crimes such as intentional murder or bodily harm should be prosecuted and strictly punished according to the law if the requirements for indictment are met. However, under Chinese criminal law, minors under the age of 18 are not subject to life imprisonment without parole or the death penalty; the maximum penalty they can receive is life imprisonment.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.