Photo: IC

China's top court and the women's federation released five judicial cases on Monday, which marked the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, to raise awareness of domestic violence prevention and victim protection.

According to the official WeChat account of China's Supreme People's Court (SPC), to increase societal awareness of domestic violence, protecting the rights of women and children, while deterring offenders, the SPC and the All-China Women's Federation jointly released the five typical cases which involved crimes such as intentional homicide, intentional injury, abuse and other typical crimes in terms of domestic violence. 

The victims of the crimes extend beyond family members to include cohabitants. The types of crimes cover common cases such as spousal or child abuse and homicide resulted from domestic violence and criminal liability for violating personal safety protection orders. 

The collaboration between the people's court and women's federation yielded significant results by leveraging their strengths, collaborating on early detection and case handling, providing assistance and protection to victims and minors involved in multiple aspects, conducting legal education in various forms, and promoting family civility.

In one case, an offender surnamed Xie, a habitual gambler and abuser, premeditatedly murdered his wife after she filed for divorce. 

The court sentenced Xie to death for intentional homicide and stripped him of political rights for life. Following approval by the SPC, Xie was lawfully executed. 

In another case, a victim surnamed Liu repeatedly abused his wife, Zhao, who eventually stabbed him in the chest while he slept, resulting in his death. The court sentenced Zhao to five years in prison for the crime of intentional homicide as she voluntarily turned herself in and confessed to the crime. 

According to the SPC, balancing leniency and severity is crucial when dealing with crimes of domestic violence. On the one hand, serious domestic violence crimes must be punished severely while offenders driven by prolonged abuse should be treated leniently and comprehensively. 

According to Zhou Zhaocheng, a lawyer from Beijing-based An Jian Law Offices, balanced practices uphold legal fairness while fostering family harmony and social stability. 

"While punishing criminals, the law seeks to safeguard victims' rights and interests, offering essential legal support and assistance," Zhou told the Global Times on Monday. 

With the enact of China's law against domestic violence and the deepening of legal education, the idea that domestic violence is not a "private family matter" is increasingly recognized. However, misconceptions persist, with some victims hesitating to seek help due to cultural stigmas like "family shame should not be aired," leading to delayed detection and intervention, the SPC said.  

The SPC also pledges to uphold the authority of personal safety protection orders, saying that since the establishment of the protection order system under China's law against domestic violence enacted on March 1, 2016, protection orders have steadily increased, offering robust support to prevent domestic violence. 

According to Zhou, through the release of these typical cases, the SPC and the All-China Women's Federation aim to raise public awareness of domestic violence as a crime, stressing that domestic violence is a serious social issue, not a private matter, that needs to be addressed through collective efforts.