China’s Top Court and Regulator Jointly Release Minors’ Rights Protection Cases
China’s Supreme People’s Court (SPC) and the State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) jointly released four typical cases on June 2, 2026, addressing emerging risks to minors in the country’s rapidly evolving consumer market. The cases cover “playable food” products, unsafe escape room venues, substandard toys, and children’s skincare products containing banned hormones, signaling a coordinated push to strengthen the social protection pillar of China’s minors protection framework.
Background: A Growing Focus on Child Safety
The release comes one day after International Children’s Day, a deliberate timing choice that maximizes public attention. China’s revised Law on the Protection of Minors, which took effect on June 1, 2021, established a “six protections” framework encompassing family, school, social, internet, government, and judicial protection. These cases specifically target the social protection pillar, addressing new risks from the internet economy, cultural creative industries, and novel consumer formats.
The Four Cases in Detail
Case 1: Syringe Candy Leads to Child’s Death
A 9-year-old child identified as Xiao Liu purchased “syringe candy” — a gel candy packaged in a syringe-shaped plastic tube — from a food company. While using the syringe to squirt water into his mouth, he accidentally inhaled the stopper and died of suffocation. The court ruled that the product had a design defect and must meet both food safety and toy safety standards. The food company was ordered to bear 60% of the compensation liability, while the parents were found partially liable for failing to fulfill their guardianship duties.
As the SPC and SAMR noted in their joint statement, the judgment “helps promote a minors protection pattern of ‘enterprises keep safety, parents fulfill guardianship, and judiciary strengthens protection.’”
Case 2: Escape Room Venue Held Liable for Teen’s Injury
A 15-year-old identified as Xiao Wang participated in a horror-themed escape room game in October 2022. The venue required him to sign a disclaimer waiving liability, despite the game being rated for ages 18 and above. During the game, the teen fell while running in a dark, narrow corridor with inadequate padding, suffering over 50,000 yuan in losses. The court ruled the disclaimer invalid under Article 506 of the Civil Code, which states that liability for personal injury cannot be waived, and ordered the venue to pay full compensation.
According to the joint statement, “escape rooms and script-kill as emerging entertainment formats have wide audience coverage and high participation by minors. Regulating such business activities is an important part of deepening social protection for minors.”
Case 3: Substandard Children’s Toys Result in Administrative Penalties
In September 2025, market regulators investigated NiQuDuo-brand slime toys following media exposure. The company lacked mandatory product certification (CCC), forged manufacturer information, and had no safety warnings on inner packaging. Regulators ordered the company to cease production and sales, confiscated 1,651 boxes of products, and imposed fines totaling 67,200 yuan.
Case 4: Banned Hormones in Children’s Skincare Products Lead to Prison Sentences
Between April 2020 and June 2021, a pharmaceutical company added glucocorticoids — banned substances under cosmetic safety regulations — to children’s skincare products, generating over 1.79 million yuan in sales. The company was fined 900,000 yuan, its legal representative was sentenced to eight years in prison, and its deputy general manager received a seven-year sentence, each also fined 900,000 yuan.
Analysis: Key Legal Principles Established
The joint release establishes several important legal precedents. Products that function as both food and toys must now meet dual safety standards — a significant clarification for the growing “food-as-toy” market segment. The cases also affirm that liability waivers for personal injury are invalid, that adding banned substances to children’s products carries severe criminal penalties, and that producers, operators, and guardians all bear proportionate responsibility.
According to China News Service, the cases demonstrate “judicial-regulatory coordination” — a unified front between China’s judicial and regulatory authorities in addressing minors’ protection issues that span both legal liability and regulatory compliance.
What’s Next
The release raises questions about whether new regulations specifically governing “playable food” products and other hybrid consumer goods will follow. The SPC’s 2025 Work Report noted that courts nationwide handled 40,000 cases of crimes against minors, with over 2,700 juvenile courts established since 1984. As China’s consumer market continues to evolve with novel formats and products, the legal framework for protecting minors is likely to face further testing and refinement.
The full text of the four typical cases is available through the Supreme People’s Court’s official channels.