In China, is ‘family’ becoming a legal shield for rape?
More troubling concerns surface in a high-profile case involving a man who fathered children with a mentally ill woman, lawyers say.
The case of a mentally ill woman who had been missing for 13 years, and found living with a man who had fathered children with her, has ignited discussion about what constitutes rape in China. The woman, identified as Bu, has schizophrenia. She disappeared in 2011 and was not found until late 2024. She was discovered living in a rural area of Shanxi province with a farmer named Zhang and their children. The story went viral on Chinese social media, with many internet users asking if Bu was a victim of human trafficking and rape. Zhang was detained by police and placed under investigation, but authorities decided not to prosecute him. They said his conduct had been “fundamentally different from rape”. However, legal experts have criticised the decision, saying it is not in accordance with the law.