China has lowered the age of criminal liability for some serious crimes from 14 to 12 as it wants to fight juvenile delinquency committed by children
BEIJING – China has lowered the age of criminal liability for some serious crimes from 14 to 12 as it wants to combat juvenile delinquency committed by children.
Under an amended law, children from 12 to 14 years of age will be held criminally responsible for “intentional homicide or injury that results in death or causes extremely cruel disabilities to others”.
The amendment, passed Saturday by the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress, China’s supreme legislature, will take effect March 1.
Those under the age of 14 who commit crimes other than those mentioned in the recently amended law will be exempt from criminal sanctions, but can receive criminal education.
Currently, the age of criminal liability in China is 16, with individuals between 14 and 16 held criminally responsible for serious crimes such as rape, theft and willful murder.
The change follows an increase in juvenile delinquency from 2018 to 2019, according to a June white paper from the Supreme People’s Procuratorate, China’s highest attorney body.
Previously, minors who have committed serious crimes have received what appeared to be mild sentences, causing public outrage.
In one case, a 13-year-old boy from the northern city of Dalian was jailed for just three years after being found guilty of the murder of a 10-year-old girl in October 2019, sparking calls for legislative changes and tougher sentences for minors committing such crimes. commit.