Breaking silence: Footage of woman beaten by ex-husband shocks China

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A man grabs a woman's hair, then in a fit of rage throws her to the floor like a rug before kicking her fiercely and repeatedly. No mercy, no pity, no relent.

The gut-wrenching scene might sound like something out of a horror movie, but for Jiang Juan – and many like her in China and the world – this is all too real.

Domestic violence is undoubtedly a disturbing topic, probably too harrowing that many choose to suffer in silence.

But one woman decided to break the silence, after enduring years of relentless physical and psychological abuse from her partner.

Jiang, 35, from Shanghai is the victim in a horrific clip that has gone viral in China, amassing over 20 million views on Weibo, and showing the silent threat lurking behind closed doors for women, kids and even men in all its ugliness.

Her experience, documented in a series of videos recorded in secret, caused a ruckus online and triggered widespread condemnation and a slew of support to victims of domestic violence.

The man whom she married, Mao Liang, was far from the chill guy she first came to know. He was a wild beast, the reason behind her unhappiness and a direct threat to her life.

“That’s how he used to beat me, it would normally last for a few hours, and my son would be locked in the other room, crying nonstop,” Jiang told thepaper.cn, a Shanghai-based Chinese news outlet.

photo via thepaper.cn

Recalling the past two years, Jiang said she had gone through a seemingly endless nightmare.

Jiang met Mao, who is 10 years her senior, on a blind date in March 2015, and the two soon entered into a relationship.

“He seemed an easygoing guy, and I was in a hurry to find a man to marry,” Jiang admitted.

She soon found herself pregnant but was reluctant whether to keep the baby.

That's was when Mao turned physical with her for the first time. But it sure was not the last.

During her pregnancy, Jiang was assaulted multiple times. Every time after beating her, Mao would apologize and promise to never do it again.

The two got married in late 2015, with the hope that the coming baby may change their interaction, make Mao less violent and bring the two happiness.

But the abuse would not stop.

Mao tried to take control of Jiang’s life, and whenever things were not to his liking, she would pay the heavy price.

photo via thepaper.cn

In July 2016, Jiang decided to file for divorce, and Mao consented.

Their marriage might have ended, but the violence didn't.

Mao kept beating her and proceeded to extort money from her.

When Jiang escaped, the vicious ex-husband tracked her down and attacked her again.

Photo via thepaper.cn

Last month, Mao smashed the front door of her new apartment in a break-in attempt. Jiang finally mustered the courage to call the police, handing in clips of him torturing her as well as records of money transfer. Receipts show she had paid him over 3 million yuan.

Photo via thepaper.cn

Mao was arrested on suspicion of forced molestation, with the wealth of videos Jiang provided used as evidence.

The man, however, denied exerting violence over Jiang, insisting that all acts recorded were consensual.

His allegations came as no surprise to Jiang.

“I’m not a masochist, otherwise I would not have escaped.”

The attorney said police are trying to obtain more evidence, and once proofs are collected, Mao would be prosecuted and likely face many years behind the bar.

China introduced its first national law against domestic violence in 2016 to tackle an issue often swept under the rug to avoid bringing shame to the family.

The legislation, however, does not include violent instances between couples who have sought divorce or former partners. It defined domestic violence as the physical and psychological abuse of family members and cohabitating non-family members. It also overlooked sexual abuse or economic control.

Defending marriage is traditionally considered a primary moral responsibility for women, which explains why many victims in abusive relationships shy away from breaking away or seeking help.

Jiang moved to a new place and changed her contact information again, fearing that she would be hunted down once Mao is free.

“He would beat me again, maybe even more brutally,” Jiang said, “I’ve told the police to inform me once he is released so that I can hide away.”

“But I do hope he could turn better, after all, he is the father of my son,” she added.