In November 2024, China executed three men convicted of sexually assaulting children and deliberately made their cases public on social media.

The executions were carried out immediately after the Supreme People's Court approved their death sentences.

One of the executed men was a former primary school teacher who had raped six girls under the age of 14 over 100 times between 2013 and February 2019. The other two were also convicted of sexual crimes against minors, though their specific cases received less detailed coverage.

The Supreme People's Court issued a clear statement alongside the executions: "We will respond sternly to crimes that violate the rights and interests of minors, and those sentenced to death will be executed promptly."

Public Response and Social Media

The execution of the three individuals became a trending topic on China's social media, reflecting widespread public support for strict measures against child sexual abuse.

The deliberate publicity marked a departure from China's typical handling of executions, where the exact number of executions is considered a state secret and estimated in the thousands annually.

Pattern of Zero Tolerance

This wasn't an isolated case of harsh punishment for crimes against children in China's justice system.

In 2008, Chinese school teacher Luo Yanlin was executed for sexually assaulting and raping 39 girls between 1988 and 2006.

More recently, child trafficker Yu Huaying's execution in Guizhou Province in 2025 was widely discussed on Chinese social media, again highlighting public support for capital punishment in cases involving child exploitation.

Immediate Justice

The speed of the executions followed China's established protocol for crimes against minors — death sentences are carried out promptly after Supreme Court approval.

The cases also prompted broader discussions about school safety and the vulnerability of left-behind children whose parents work in distant cities.

By making these executions public and trending on social media, China sent an unmistakable message about the fate awaiting those who harm children.