Parents abusing children by no means internal matter

A four-year-old girl in Jiansanjiang, Heilongjiang province, suffered serious injuries late last month after she was assaulted by her father and his live-in girlfriend, provoking widespread public anger. On Tuesday, the local prosecutor approved the duo’s arrest for causing intentional injury to the girl.

The case became a topic of intense online discussion on April 28, after some netizens posted pictures showing the grave injuries the girl suffered. Reports quoted local public security authorities as saying the girl was being assaulted ever since she left her paternal grandfather to live with her father, who won her custody after divorcing from the child’s mother. On April 23, his girlfriend beat up the girl so badly that she had to be sent to the intensive care unit where experts said her injuries were of secondary serious nature.

On social networking sites, users severely criticized the guardians for beating up the girl, but domestic abuse of children is not unheard of in society.

Even though China has various laws and regulations protecting minors, they are not implemented effectively, largely because in traditional Chinese society, “beating one’s own child” is often regarded as an internal matter. Social workers and law enforcement personnel, who are responsible for protecting minors, have often criticized parents for beating up their children, but most parents believe they have a right to discipline their children; many believe they are doing it for the child’s good.

Neighbors in Jiansanjiang said they had heard the girl being beaten up several times, but they were unwilling to interfere as they thought it was the family’s internal matter. The girl had to be taken to the hospital several times last month, with the doctors treating her reporting the nature of her injuries to the police every time. But it was only after doctors found the girl had suffered grievous injuries the third time that the police took the couple away for investigation.

Parents who harm their children should be punished and not forgiven. Society, too, should start protecting children from domestic abuse, instead of calling it an internal matter and looking the other way.