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Cases of domestic violence in China point to a legal system that looks good on paper but is failing victims because of a lack of resources and political will.
By Alexandra Stevenson and Joy Dong
Alexandra Stevenson reported from Shanghai, where she visited two shelters, and Hong Kong. Joy Dong reported from Hong Kong.
Nov. 6, 2025, 12:01 a.m. ET
They called the police. They showed their wounds. They begged for protection.
But when two women in China tried to escape their violent husbands, the system that promised to protect them looked the other way, until it was too late. One woman died from being beaten. The other woman was left severely injured.
Their stories rippled across the Chinese internet, setting off a wave of anger over how the authorities treat domestic violence as a private family matter, even as state media has called for “zero tolerance” of abuses.
China’s leader, Xi Jinping, said the country needed to “resolutely combat all forms of violence against women” when he spoke at a global summit for women in Beijing last month. But he has also fostered a culture that emphasizes women’s traditional role at home, creating a reluctance among the police and courts to break families apart even when there is violence.
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Activists say that the resulting inconsistent enforcement of laws has led to most cases going unpunished. A crackdown on nonprofit groups has made things worse by shutting down volunteers who once helped to provide aid and support to victims of domestic abuse.
One of the cases that prompted the latest outcry was Zhang Liping, a woman who died in September at the age of 43 from fatal injuries after a beating by her ex-husband.
