Juvenile courts all over China tried 393,543 defendants under the age of 18 from 1999 to 2005, convicting 393,115 and acquitting 428.

The figures were announced Thursday by Shen Deyong, vice president of the Supreme People's Court, at an ongoing national meeting on the legal system for juveniles held in Guangzhou, capital city of south China's Guangdong Province.

Shen said the country's juvenile tribunals have paid great attention to protecting the legal rights of the accused minors when handling criminal cases. Judges have placed emphasis on education, with punishment a secondary objective, when trying the juvenile defendants.

"Judges have tried their best not to give the young offenders prison sentences based on the law and have made persistent efforts to educate them in a bid to ensure their healthy growth and smooth return to society," Shen said.

He encouraged the judges working for juvenile courts to further regulate their law enforcement behaviors and improve their trial procedures. He also asked them to vigorously push forward reforms, undergo more training and conduct detailed research on juvenile delinquency.

(Xinhua News Agency February 10, 2006)