BEIJING, Nov. 25 (Xinhua) -- China's top procuratorate on Tuesday said more than 500 defendants in domestic violence criminal cases have been sentenced to life imprisonment or more severe penalties over the past five years.

Chinese prosecutors have stepped up supervision over the handling of domestic violence cases to protect women's rights and interests. Since 2021, Chinese procuratorial agencies have approved the arrest of more than 2,800 suspects involved in relevant crimes and have prosecuted more than 3,400, according to the Supreme People's Procuratorate (SPP).

"Domestic violence is not only an infringement on the legitimate rights and interests of family members, but is also harmful to social order and public interests," said deputy procurator-general of the SPP Ge Xiaoyan.

The SPP pledged greater efforts to punish criminal offenses against women in accordance with the law and oversee the implementation of the law on the protection of women. It also vowed to carry out regular crackdowns on women trafficking and seriously punish sexual assault crimes while supporting civil lawsuits and legal assistance to safeguard women's rights in an all-around way.

China revised the Law on the Protection of Rights and Interests of Women and put it into force on Jan. 1, 2023, protecting women in a wide range of areas, including gender equality, employment and maternity insurance. Enditem