A woman in eastern China fractured four of her mother-in-law’s ribs after accusing the older woman of neglecting her grandchildren to pursue a romantic relationship.
The family feud in Jiaxing, Zhejiang province, was recently reported by Zhejiang Television and has fuelled a heated online debate over childcare and filial obligations.
After Jiao and his elder brother lost their father, the two remained in their hometown, while their mother, surnamed Shen, moved to Jiaxing with their elder sister.
Jiao and his wife, who have two children and work in different cities, later placed the youngsters in Shen’s care. The ages of the two children are not disclosed in the report.
The dispute erupted after their son told his mother through the family’s home surveillance system that he felt unwell but his grandmother had refused to take his temperature.
Alarmed, the mother took a high-speed train and arrived in Shen’s home in about an hour.
Shen told her that the boy was unruly and difficult to manage, adding that she also had a toothache.
Her daughter-in-law offered to take her to the hospital, but Shen refused, saying she wanted to visit her boyfriend instead. Shen even allegedly declared: “I would rather die than look after the grandchildren.”
The confrontation turned violent when the daughter-in-law attacked Shen, leaving her with facial injuries and four fractured ribs.
Reports said it was not the first time Shen had been assaulted by her daughter-in-law over her perceived failure to care for the children.
Jiao defended his wife, branding his mother “immoral” and saying she “deserved” the beating. He accused Shen of prioritising her romantic relationship over her grandchildren and argued that, given his financial difficulties, she should either provide childcare or give him a monthly allowance.
But his sister’s firmly disagreed, saying their mother – a low-paid sanitation worker who had endured years of hardship – deserved the chance to share her life with a caring partner of a similar age.
Despite her meagre income, Shen had transferred more than 100,000 yuan (US$15,000) to her two sons, the sister added.
Shen maintained that she did not want to raise her grandchildren. The assault had also left her unable to work or continue providing financial support to Jiao.
Ma Junzhe, a lawyer with Guangdong Zheqing Law Firm, said Jiao’s wife could face prosecution for intentional injury causing minor bodily harm, an offence punishable by up to three years in prison.
Ma stressed that the legal responsibility for raising and educating children lay with their parents. As Jiao and his wife were both capable of working, Shen had no legal obligation to care for their children, he said.
The case remained unresolved at the time of writing but has prompted widespread outrage on mainland social media.
One netizen commented: “Jiao has failed both as a son and as a father. If he cannot raise his own children, why did he have them?”
“However aggrieved you may feel, violence solves nothing. The moment you strike someone, the law is no longer on your side,” said another. -- SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST
