Domestic violence casts long shadow

LIANG LUWEN/FOR CHINA DAILY More help provided, but many victims reluctant to speak out A woman in Sanming, Fujian province, finally ended her marriage in court last week after calling police seven times to complain that she had been a victim of domestic violence. "Domestic violence is an inevitable issue that cannot be ignored when hearing family-related disputes," Guo said, adding that the number of divorce hearings caused by such cases has also been rising. Liu Jiecen, a lawyer with the family legal counseling team at the Beijing Yinghe Law Firm, said the new law marked a turning point in drawing public attention to domestic violence. 'Braver than most' Liu said that compared with most people in Western countries and some well-educated Chinese, many in the country think women should always be subservient in society and marriage, "so they regard domestic violence as shameful and want to cover up it". Referring to those willing to apply for a personal safety protection order, which was written into the law to help victims of domestic violence or those facing such a risk, "our court will supply them with a quick channel to ensure their applications can be accepted efficiently", Cao said.