Refer China: Guangdong Dad Forgives Girlfriend Over Son's Fatal Kicking

Guangdong dad signs settlement forgiving girlfriend who kicked 18-month-old son to death. Mother opposes; lawyers say forgiveness won't spare her 10-year minimum sentence.

Tags:

Guangdong

Child Abuse

Legal Settlement

Parental Forgiveness

Public Outrage

A father in southern China’s Guangdong Province has triggered fierce nationwide public anger after signing a settlement letter of understanding to pardon his live-in girlfriend, who fatally injured his 18-month-old baby boy by repeatedly kicking the toddler’s abdomen. The horrific case drew massive online attention after the child’s biological mother, the man’s ex-wife, pushed for a full official criminal probe.

An 18-month-old toddler in Guangdong died due to severe internal organ damage after his father’s girlfriend brutally assaulted him. Photo: Douyin

The boy’s mother, surnamed Xie, said she split up with her husband Li back in April last year, following more than a decade of marriage. The couple had two sons. Custody of their elder boy went to Xie, while Li was granted guardianship of their younger toddler.

Online observers expressed outrage at the father’s reaction to his son’s death, with one commenting, “The father’s indifference is more chilling than the abuser’s fist.”

Last November, Xie received an abrupt phone call from her former father-in-law, who told her her youngest son had passed away and asked for her consent to bury the child at the family’s ancestral plot. Shocked, Xie hurried straight to the hospital, only to find Li already going through formalities to cremate their son’s body.

Medical staff broke the devastating news to Xie: the toddler bore wounds on the back of his head, and his abdomen was severely swollen like an inflated balloon. Doctors strongly suggested conducting a forensic autopsy to determine the exact cause of death.

Terrified that the truth would be buried along with her child, Xie immediately contacted the police. Official investigations uncovered the brutal abuse the infant endured. On three separate occasions — three days and one day prior to his death — the toddler was violently kicked in the belly multiple times. The fatal blows ruptured his liver, pancreas and intestines, leading to his death.

The perpetrator was identified as Li’s girlfriend, Guo. She had resigned from her sales job the previous August and moved in with Li to take full-time care of the little boy. Guo hid her cohabitation with Li from her own family, and gradually grew frustrated with the toddler’s tantrums and naughty behaviour. Prior to the fatal assault, she had already abused the child on multiple occasions, pinching and beating his arms, buttocks and face.

Controversially, Li chose to sign a letter of understanding to forgive Guo. When questioned about his choice, he argued that he believed his girlfriend had been looking after the boy and had no deliberate intention to kill him.

Xie firmly opposed the settlement agreement and brought the case to mainstream media outlets, fighting to secure justice for her dead son. “If I hadn’t rushed to the hospital in time that day, my baby could have been cremated without anyone knowing the truth, and the perpetrator would have gotten away with murder,” Xie said emotionally.

Liu Kai, a lawyer from Beijing Zhongwen Law Firm, explained the legal implications of Li’s settlement document. While the letter carries certain legal validity as it was signed by one of the victim’s legal guardians, its weight will be significantly weakened given the firm opposition from the child’s other biological parent.

Per China’s Criminal Law, anyone who causes another person’s death through exceptionally cruel means faces a minimum sentence of 10 years in jail, life imprisonment, or even capital punishment. Liu added that penalties tend to be harsher when the victim is a minor under state protection.

Netizens across social media platforms voiced overwhelming outrage over Li’s cold-hearted choice to forgive his son’s killer. One online user wrote, “He signed the forgiveness letter because he bears partial responsibility for his son’s death.” Another widely shared comment read, “The father’s indifference is far more chilling than the abuser’s fists.”

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Editor: Crystal H