Chinese courts have ramped up efforts to combat crimes against women and children over the past five years, strengthening the protection for these vulnerable groups and enhancing their sense of fulfillment, happiness and security, China's top court said.

From 2020 to 2024, courts across the country concluded 230,700 cases involving the rape and molestation of women and children, marking a 70.36 percent increase from the previous five-year period, according to data released by the Supreme People's Court at a nationwide criminal adjudication conference on Thursday.

Thanks to the intensified fight against human trafficking, courts nationwide concluded 2,957 cases of trafficking in women and children from 2020 to 2024, reflecting a 16.75 percent decline compared to the preceding five years, the data showed.

While continuing to harshly penalize people who harm minors, the top court has also emphasized the need to apply a balanced approach of leniency and severity in handling juvenile delinquency, combining punishment with education.

Additionally, the top court has urged judges to focus more on new legal issues in cyberspace and the economy, playing the adjudication role in safeguarding cybersecurity, fostering a law-based business environment, and supporting high-quality development.

It has pledged to refine judicial rules involving emerging cyber challenges, including those on virtual assets, livestreaming obscene performances, and electronic evidence, with a strong crackdown on cross-border online gambling and those who provide assistance in this crime.

Moreover, it added that efforts also need to be strengthened in the combat against people who disrupt financial order, commit financial fraud, and damage environmental protection.

According to the data, Chinese courts concluded nearly 90,000 cases related to illegal funding, money laundering, and insider trading from 2020 to 2024, a decrease of 15.51 percent from the previous five years.

In the past five years, 154,000 cases related to environmental damage were concluded, an increase of 31.28 percent from the previous five-year period, the data added.