Court Repeatedly Rejects Divorce Despite Domestic Abuse

A controversial case involving a woman whose divorce filings were repeatedly rejected despite her claims of abuse has brought the judicial system’s handling of domestic violence under scrutiny. Ning Shunhua of Hunan Province was finally granted a divorce from her husband on April 30 amid public outcry over local courts turning her down four times in five years. According to media reports, Ning first filed for divorce in 2016, accusing her husband of excessive gambling. The court rejected her case, saying Ning had no evidence to prove the relationship was irreconcilable. Afterward, Ning said her husband was abusive, and threatened to kill her and her relatives if she insisted on the divorce. However, the courts rejected Ning’s next three filings for the sake of preserving “family and social harmony,” media reported. Netizens were shocked by the court rulings, with some offering personal stories of local law enforcement dismissing domestic abuse as family disputes. Many have called on authorities to raise public awareness of China’s domestic violence law, which went into effect in 2016.