Courts target child abuse done under guise of 'strict parenting'

Discipline vs violence

In December 2024, a woman surnamed Li from Changning district, Shanghai, sued her ex-husband, surnamed Pang, and sought custody of their daughter after discovering he had repeatedly beaten, scolded and physically punished the 11-year-old.

The girl lived with Pang following the couple's divorce, according to case details released by the top court. Li contacted local police in March 2023 when she discovered Pang had used a slipper to hit the child's mouth, causing bleeding.

In September 2024, Li again called the police and accompanied her daughter for medical treatment after Pang whipped the child on the buttocks, thighs and other areas with a belt. The medical diagnosis revealed that the child had multiple bruises on her left arm, left thigh, and buttocks.

During police questioning, the girl said she had been repeatedly beaten by her father and she wanted to live with her mother. Li noticed that the child was emotionally withdrawn and suffered from insomnia, so she took her for psychological counseling. After visits to local mental health centers, the girl was diagnosed with severe depression.

Pang admitted to having a drinking habit and said when he was confronted with the child's physical and emotional trauma, his actions were merely normal discipline rather than violence. He claimed that the girl's depression had nothing to do with him.

After an investigation, the Changning District People's Court determined that Pang's beating and scolding of the girl constituted domestic violence. In February, it changed custody of the child to the mother.

The child has taken a leave of absence from school since September 2024 and is still on medication and receiving psychological treatment, the court revealed. To prevent her from being further harmed, it also provided her with psychological support during the handling of the case.

The top court highlighted the ruling, and reaffirmed that violent disciplining of children should be recognized as domestic violence.

"Children are not the private property of their parents. As guardians, parents should fully respect the personal dignity and development of minors," it said.

"Frequent verbal abuse and physical punishment of children exceeds the reasonable limits or normal parental education and seriously deviates from the true intent of family education," it added, emphasizing that this is prohibited under the Anti-Domestic Violence Law.