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).