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BEIJING – Video footage and footage that appears to show a man in China beating his wife to death while viewers stood by and did nothing have sparked outrage and raised new questions about domestic violence.
Images of the assault first appeared on social media and in national media on Sunday (November 1) and have been shared millions of times.
State media said the violence erupted after the married couple accidentally hit a vehicle while riding an electric scooter in Shuozhou city. Police said in a statement that the woman was killed on Saturday morning.
“The suspect is in the custody of public security organs and the case is being thoroughly investigated,” the police said.
In the images, cyclists, motorists and pedestrians, including children, can be seen watching the attack on the street.
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Media posts about the incident generated tens of thousands of comments, most criticizing the inaction of bystanders and the lax attitude towards domestic violence in some sectors of Chinese society.
“It doesn’t have a machine gun, why didn’t anyone step forward to control it?” asked one commenter in a widely shared response.
China only introduced a specific law criminalizing domestic violence in 2015. Activists say violence within families is often ignored.
When the law was passed, the government-run Federation of China Women estimated that roughly one in four Chinese women experienced violence during their marriage. The authorities register between 40,000 and 50,000 complaints a year.
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The outrage sparked by the attack recalls a 2011 incident, also captured on video, when a child in the city of Foshan was hit twice by a vehicle and ignored by dozens of passersby.
Social media users noted that there is a widespread perception in China that someone stepping in to help could be responsible for hospital costs or be caught up in scams, discouraging people from intervening.
China in 2017 enacted “Good Samaritan” legislation that aims to address the problem by removing civil liability from those involved in helping victims of violence or accidents.
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