A harrowing tale of domestic violence from China’s southwestern province of Sichuan has struck a nerve among netizens across the country, underscoring the urgent need for more robust measures to prevent and combat such violence.
The survivor, a 29-year-old woman known only by her surname Xie, bravely shared her traumatic experience on mainland social media on June 28. She revealed that her husband, He Zhongyang, had violently abused her on 16 occasions over their two-year marriage, as reported by Feidian Video.
In a heart-wrenching video, Xie is seen in a hospital bed, an oxygen tube inserted into her nostril, bandages wrapped around her waist and abdomen, and a colostomy bag affixed to her body. This chilling image stands testament to the brutality she endured.
Xie divulged that she was oblivious to He’s previous history of violence towards his first wife when they wed two years ago. Two months into their marriage, Xie became pregnant, and that’s when He’s violent tendencies surfaced. “When I was seven months pregnant, he beat me for the second time,” Xie confessed in the video.
Xie had contemplated divorce following the second incident of abuse, but each time she broached the topic, He’s anger would erupt, terrifying her into retreating from the idea. She feared that attempting to leave would escalate the violence. She estimated that she had been assaulted at least 16 times, five of which were particularly severe.
The final, most brutal attack occurred in April this year. Summoning her courage, Xie filed divorce papers and applied for a protection order against He. Upon learning this from his family, He attacked Xie once more, causing devastating injuries. However, he didn’t seek medical help for her until almost noon the next day.
Doctors informed Xie that her life was narrowly saved, she could have died if she had arrived at the hospital just 20 minutes later. The severe internal injuries she sustained required two months of hospitalization. “My organs, such as the small intestine, liver, kidneys, and stomach, were damaged, and there were some bruises,” Xie recounted. Her duodenum was permanently damaged, necessitating a colostomy bag for the rest of her life.
Following his arrest, He is currently under criminal detention. Meanwhile, Xie’s story has sparked national outrage and ignited fierce discussions on domestic violence. By the time of writing, the Weibo news post detailing Xie’s plight had attracted nearly 10,000 comments.
Many netizens echoed sentiments such as, “A marriage certificate is not a death-exemption medal, it was intentional, and a hefty sentence is needed.” Others labeled He’s abuse as attempted murder, intensifying the demand for justice.
This is not an isolated incident; domestic violence routinely makes headlines in China. Statistics reveal that around 30% of Chinese families experienced some form of domestic violence in 2022. The All-China Women’s Federation, a government-affiliated women’s rights organization, found that 30% of married women in China had experienced domestic violence in 2021. This grim reality underscores the pressing need for a more robust system to protect victims and punish perpetrators.
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