SPP steps up targeted efforts to combat crimes against seniors, plug loopholes
Chinese prosecutors have stepped up efforts to protect the rights and interests of elderly people through coordinated use of their prosecutorial functions, as the country marks the 30th anniversary of the implementation of the Law on the Protection of the Rights and Interests of the Elderly.
The Supreme People's Procuratorate recently released nine relevant cases, ranging from telecom and online fraud, claims for financial support, misleading livestream marketing, regulation of elderly care institutions, to social insurance and employment rights, involving the elderly.
An SPP official said China's rapidly aging population has brought growing challenges, including safety risks at elderly care institutions and crimes targeting elderly people's personal and property rights.
In December 2023, the SPP issued its No 11 procuratorial recommendation to relevant authorities, calling for stronger safety supervision of elderly care institutions and improved industry regulation to prevent risks at the source.
Since then, prosecutors have intensified efforts to combat crimes targeting elderly people, including fundraising and telecom fraud committed under the guise of eldercare services. They have also sought to recover illicit gains, facilitate compensation for victims and address regulatory weaknesses exposed by individual cases.
In one case, a group used livestreaming platforms to target elderly viewers with fabricated stories, while falsely promoting low-cost handicrafts as rare collectibles with high investment value. The 27 defendants defrauded 196 victims nationwide, most of them elderly, of more than 9.3 million yuan ($1.3 million).
During the prosecution, authorities identified 151 additional victims beyond the group of 45 initially referred by police. In May, the defendants received prison terms ranging from three years to nine years and three months, with some receiving suspended sentences. Seized funds are being returned to victims.
Prosecutors also used the case to conduct more than 20 anti-fraud education sessions reaching over 5,000 people and urged online platforms to strengthen content reviews and risk warnings.
Civil prosecution has also become an important channel for safeguarding elderly people's rights. Procuratorates nationwide handled more than 101,000 applications for assistance in civil litigation in 2023, about 82,000 in 2024 and more than 60,000 in 2025.
In March, the Supreme People's Court and the SPP jointly issued guidelines clarifying that elderly people who have difficulty filing lawsuits to claim maintenance or support payments may apply for procuratorial assistance. Prosecutors can provide legal consultation, help arrange legal aid, obtain relevant materials and facilitate reconciliation.
Administrative prosecution has focused on issues of immediate concern to elderly people, including work-related injury protection for workers beyond the statutory retirement age, pension benefits and the regulation of elderly care services.
In administrative disputes that have dragged on for years or become mired in repeated procedures, prosecutors have sought to resolve underlying problems through legal interpretation, judicial assistance and mediation, easing the burden of prolonged litigation on elderly claimants.
In one case in Sichuan province, prosecutors helped resolve a nine-year pension dispute after reviewing archival records and finding that an elderly claimant had 14 years of continuous service that should have counted toward pension eligibility. They recommended a retrial and worked with the court and human resources authorities to facilitate a settlement, under which the claimant received compensation for pension losses.
Public-interest litigation has also targeted problems affecting larger groups of elderly people, including unsafe facilities, inaccessible environments and misleading marketing campaigns, according to the SPP.
In Shanghai's Minhang district, prosecutors investigated six businesses that used closed-door livestreams and private social media groups to promote ordinary food products as having medical or health benefits. Elderly volunteers with expertise in communications, food and medicine assisted in collecting evidence.
Following procuratorial recommendations, market regulators penalized the six operators, closed three stores and imposed fines totaling 550,000 yuan ($83,565).
The SPP said prosecutors will continue to combine criminal punishment, rights protection and source-level governance, strengthen coordination with regulators and expand public legal education to help elderly people identify fraud and protect their rights.
