Minor witnesses to domestic violence also victims: China's top court

Minor children who are forcibly seized or hidden or are witnesses to domestic violence are also victims of domestic violence, China's Supreme People's Court (SPC) said Monday.

The top court reiterated the provision as it made public six typical cases of domestic violence, which all involved minor children applying for personal protection orders.

In one case, the father of a minor surnamed Cai fought for the child's custody by violently seizing and hiding the child, and battered Cai's mother despite Cai's crying. Consequently, Cai had to undergo psychotherapy due to multiple mental health issues.

The court handling the case eventually approved Cai's request for a personal protection order, showing a zero-tolerance stance toward such acts, the SPC said.

The SPC also underlined the crucial role of identifying domestic violence in the protection of minors from it, citing instances where kindergarten and school teachers noticed and reported acts of domestic violence against children.