Court official reviews Beijing's work on juvenile protection

Beijing courts have consolidated their efforts to protect children's rights over the past year, with case hearings and various measures to promote legal education, an official said.

Courts across the city have solved 455 criminal cases involving harm of juveniles since the beginning of 2022, mainly covering intentional killing, intentional injury, rape and sexual assault, Ren Xuefeng, vice-president of the Beijing High People's Court, said at a news conference on Tuesday.

He said the capital's courts have also handled 6,928 civil disputes and 57 administrative cases involving children during the same period.

A team of 185 people, including judges, judges' assistants and court clerks, has been established in the city to specialize in dealing with child-related cases, thanks to recent study of juvenile judiciary.

He added the team has played a big role in improving the quality and efficiency of case handling.

To help minors troubled with lawsuits or who met difficulties in case handling, the city's courts have provided more than 200,000 yuan ($28,193) in legal assistance for them since the beginning of last year, and offered over 90 sessions of psychological aid for them and their parents.

In addition, 477 judges and judges' assistants have become law principals at 498 schools across the city, he said, adding they provided legal training and organized students to attend trials and moot courts more than 800 times over the past year.