Jiaxing daughter-in-law broke mother-in-law's four ribs over dating vs babysitting. Son defended her, but lawyers say she faces 3 years; social media condemns.
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A family dispute in eastern China has triggered widespread anger online after a woman allegedly attacked her mother-in-law, breaking four of her ribs, because the older woman preferred spending time with her boyfriend instead of caring for her grandchildren.
The incident took place in Jiaxing, Zhejiang province, and was recently reported by Zhejiang Television.
After Jiao and his older brother lost their father, they stayed in their hometown, while their mother, surnamed Shen, moved to Jiaxing with their sister.
Jiao and his wife work in different cities and had left their two children in Shen’s care. The children’s ages were not revealed.
The conflict began when one of the children contacted his mother through the family’s home surveillance system, saying that he felt sick and that his grandmother had refused to check his temperature.
Concerned, the mother travelled by high-speed train and reached Shen’s home about an hour later.
Shen reportedly explained that the boy was difficult to control and said she was also suffering from a toothache. Her daughter-in-law offered to take her to hospital, but Shen refused and said she planned to visit her boyfriend instead.
She allegedly said that she would rather die than continue looking after the grandchildren.
The argument then became violent. The daughter-in-law allegedly attacked Shen, causing injuries to her face and fracturing four ribs.
Reports claimed this was not the first time Shen had been assaulted over disagreements about childcare.
Jiao defended his wife and criticised his mother, describing her behaviour as immoral and claiming that she deserved to be beaten. He argued that Shen should either help care for the children or provide him with a monthly allowance because he was experiencing financial difficulties.
However, Jiao’s sister supported their mother. She said Shen was a low-paid sanitation worker who had endured years of hardship and deserved the opportunity to enjoy a relationship with someone who cared for her.
The sister also claimed that Shen had already transferred more than 100,000 yuan, around US$15,000, to her two sons despite earning very little.
Shen said clearly that she did not want the responsibility of raising her grandchildren. Following the assault, she was reportedly unable to work or continue giving Jiao financial support.
Lawyer Ma Junzhe said the daughter-in-law could face criminal charges for intentionally causing injury. If convicted of causing minor bodily harm, she could receive a prison sentence of up to three years.
He also explained that parents are legally responsible for raising and educating their own children. Because Jiao and his wife were both capable of working, Shen had no legal duty to provide childcare.
The case had not been resolved at the time of reporting, but it caused strong criticism across Chinese social media.
Many users condemned Jiao and his wife, arguing that parents should not force grandparents to raise their children.
One commenter wrote that Jiao had failed as both a son and a father, while another said that regardless of the disagreement, violence was never justified and would only lead to legal consequences.
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