Convicted rapists executed after top court's review

Three people convicted of raping juveniles were executed on Tuesday after China's top court approved their sentences.

The three rapists were Ni Duqun, Wang Xiaoshan and Sun Baochang, and their executions were carried out by courts in the provinces of Hubei, Shandong and Henan, respectively, according to a statement released by the Supreme People's Court.

In China, death sentences made by lower courts should be submitted to the top court for a review before executions are conducted.

On Tuesday, the top court summarized the cases of the three convicts, stating Chinese courts have kept the protection of children as a top priority, with harsher punishment meted out to those harming juveniles.

It revealed the convicts contacted victims through the internet and then abducted them, mostly from primary and middle schools.

In the case in Hubei, Ni, who ran a company in the province, was found to have raped seven girls, including six under the age of 14, by luring them to meet through QQ, an instant messaging tool, from January 2017 to August 2019.

Of the victims, four were raped multiple times, and two became pregnant and miscarried. Ni was also determined to have manipulated these victims, instigating them to seek other girls for him to victimize.

In the case in Shandong, Wang was found to have raped five girls, including three under the age of 14, molested 14 others and assembled a crowd to engage in promiscuous activities from late 2017 to January 2019.

Wang first asked girls to send naked photos and videos through QQ, then told them he would disclose the pictures if they refused him.

Sun, the convict in Henan, engaged in similar acts from October 2017 to August 2018. In addition to luring girls and asking them to send naked pictures online, Sun also filmed his crimes and used the contents to threaten victims into submission.

Before the acts were discovered, Sun had been penalized for the crime of rape.

The top court said the three rapists have seriously harmed victims' physical and mental health, adding their behavior has had great negative impact on society.

"Chinese courts do not tolerate people harming children, and for those who should be sentenced to death, we'll give the capital penalty without hesitation," it added.

The execution of the three rapists has demonstrated the country's determination and effort to protect children, it said, adding teachers, parents and cyberspace departments should strengthen supervision of internet behavior for juveniles and provide them with a safer online environment.