China’s Supreme Peoples Court (SPC) on Monday said minor children who were forcibly seized or hidden or were witnesses to domestic violence are also victims of domestic violence.

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 young Cai’s mother despite his crying.

Consequently, young Cai had to undergo psychotherapy due to multiple mental health issues.

The court handling the case eventually approved Master 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. 

(Xinhua/NAN)