Women's groups aim to overcome domestic abuse dilemma

Barriers

Many victims of domestic violence are trapped in a similar dilemma, and they are often blocked when they seek help.

On Feb 19, a woman surnamed Cao in Shenzhen, Guangdong province, pleaded unsuccessfully for her boyfriend to stay home and not go drinking with friends because of the threat posed by the novel coronavirus.

When the boyfriend returned, he was drunk. He beat the 27-year-old, slapping her face, grabbing her by the throat and banging her head against the wall. He also threatened to kill her.

When Cao tried to prosecute her boyfriend, a police officer asked: "Is that necessary? You really want to destroy him? Have you thought about his future?" Cao recorded the interview on her phone and posted it on the internet as proof of the problem.

Li, the lawyer, said: "Many victims feel helpless and lonely. Sometimes, their failure to break free of abuse is not the result of a lack of legal awareness, but because the authorities have been unhelpful."

Statistics from the All-China Women's Federation show that approximately 30 percent of married women in China have experienced domestic violence.

Meanwhile, the World Health Organization claims domestic violence is not just widespread in China, but across the world. WHO figures show that in 2017 about 30 percent of women worldwide experienced physical or sexual abuse.

"No group is more vulnerable to domestic violence," Li said. Many people believe that attacks on close partners mainly occur among the lower classes, but the incidence rate may not be markedly different among the highly educated or elite groups, she added.

That's because domestic abuse among those groups may happen covertly, such as emotional violence or physical assaults on parts of the body where bruises can't be seen.

In one case Li handled, a doctor usually hit his wife on the head, because her hair would cover the scars. Occasionally, he hit other parts of her body, but he wrapped a towel around his fist to minimize bruising.

"Anyone can be a victim," Li said.