Public outcry after faked domestic abuse case revealed

A video posted on Douyin showing a woman being kicked and punched brutally by a man as she lay on the ground has caused a stir on social media.

Later that night, the woman surnamed Tan livestreamed on Douyin claiming she was abused by her ex-husband, and had already called the police. Many people were furious after seeing this video, which had been reposted many times amid growing focus on domestic abuse in China.

This soon caught the attention of the Cyberspace Administration of Yingzhou district in Fuyang, Anhui province.

After investigation, the administration found there was no domestic abuse and the police didn't receive a report from the woman.

The domestic abuse in the video was actually staged in a bid to get views and followers. Tan and her ex-husband even rehearsed several times before they made and uploaded the video, according to the Yingzhou police.

Many people felt used and called for severe punishment for the pair after seeing the release posted by the administration on Thursday. "This crying-wolf behavior is not only illegal and immoral, but also may set barriers for real abuse victims to get the necessary help," one netizen commented.

"In recent years, some social media used domestic abuse as clickbait to manipulate people's emotions in order to get more views ... This behavior is draining people's attention on domestic violence and it should be severely punished in accordance with the law," wrote Xin Min Evening News, a news outlet in Shanghai.

As of now, the woman's account has been suspended and she was punished with 10 days of administrative detention, according to a report from China National Radio.