An American woman is being hailed as a hero in China after securing a divorce on the grounds of domestic violence, Fox News reports.
Kim Lee was granted a divorce from her Chinese celebrity-entrepreneur husband, Li Yang, after posting online images of injuries that she said she sustained during a beating in 2011. Yang owns the popular chain of English-speaking schools called “Crazy English.”
The images showed injuries to her forehead, knees and a bleeding ear. They went viral on Chinese social media and television networks.
As in the United States, domestic violence in China is often an unreported crime. Domestic violence isn’t often spoken of in China due to traditional norms of keeping family matters private, according to Fox. Furthermore, the country has long viewed women as subservient to their husbands.
The Chaoyang District People’s Court granted the divorce and approved Lee’s request for a three-month restraining order against her husband. He has also been ordered to pay $8,000 for mental anguish and for child support for their three children. Lee also will receive properties worth more than $2 million, the report says.
Lee’s lawyer, Qi Lianfeng, told The China Daily that the court’s decision may serve as a sign for more women “to protect their rights in a legal way” if they are victims of domestic violence. That’s important for women, wherever they are.
If you are a victim of domestic violence in North Carolina, you should seek legal help, too. The state takes domestic violence seriously, and court and community-based protections can support you as you break free from the dangerous relationship.
To see North Carolina’s statute on domestic violence, click here.
