Violence against LGBT individuals in China: Evidence from national court rulings

Violence against LGBT individuals in China has been a persistent concern, driving extensive scholarly research that has predominantly relied on self-report data, including questionnaires and interviews. However, limited attention has been given to comprehending how the judicial system records and sentences perpetrators in these cases. This research represents a pioneering effort, being the first instance of utilizing official data to scrutinize acts of violence against the LGBT community in China. This approach represents a novel departure from previous studies, as it leverages official legal data to analyze violence against LGBT individuals in the country. The court rulings from the judicial system serve as a reflective mirror, shedding light on the authorities' comprehension of violence directed at LGBT individuals. As a result, a total of 508 criminal court rulings related to LGBT individuals have been identified, with 217 of these cases involving LGBT individuals as victims. The analysis of court rulings reveals that, in general, convictions predominantly pertain to property crimes. Notably, sexual identity does not typically serve as a direct determinant influencing sentencing outcomes or convictions. Instead, sexual identity is mentioned in court rulings primarily to elucidate the criminal facts associated with the cases.