"Convenient channels must be set up shortly for the protection of women against violence or unfair treatment," Zhou Jun, a judge of the First Intermediate People's Court of Beijing, was quoted by the Beijing Times as saying.

"Most of women offenders do not intentionally committing crimes and their experiences deserve sympathy," Zhou was cited as saying.

The Court published a report on female crimes this week indicating that the female crime rate in the last three years in Beijing has seen a continuous rise at a speed faster than their male counterparts.

In 2003, female crimes handled by the Court accounted for 12.7 percent of the total crimes. In 2004, the ratio climbed to 13.9 percent, and in 2005, 15.4 percent.

Among murder cases, about half of the victims are the women's husbands, boyfriends or male neighbors, Zhou said.

In one case, a man who habitually abused his wife was one killed when she lost control, Zhou said.

Chinese prisons now jail a rising number of women offenders, who were victims of domestic violence that retaliated by killing.

According to a national survey done by the All China Women's Federation, as many as one third of the women in the country's 270 million households are suffering domestic violence, contributing to China's 100,000 annual divorces.

Lawmakers in China called for legislation for safeguarding women against domestic violence at the ongoing annual session of the Tenth National People's Congress(NPC), China's top legislature. Enditem