China newlywed woman blinded by husband after refusing to top up his online gaming account

BEIJING (SCMP): A Chinese woman was brutally beaten and blinded by her husband two months after they married because she refused to fund his gaming habit.

The woman, known as Lao Chunxue, 28, from Inner Mongolia in northern China, met her husband, surnamed Xie, who is two years older than her, through an introduction by a relative in 2022.

Despite frequent arguments over his gaming obsession during their relationship, Xie treated Lao with care, which led her to accept his marriage proposal.

After their wedding, the couple relocated to Henan province in central China in search of work, but both struggled to secure employment.

During that period, Xie’s gaming habit intensified, and he began frequently demanding money from Lao to fuel his addiction.

On March 19, last year, two months after their marriage, Xie demanded 10,000 yuan (US$1,400) from her. When she explained that her bride price was depleted and she had no money left, Xie flew into a furious rage and began punching her, causing her nose to bleed.

“He punched me, then hit me with a frying pan,” Lao said.

During the assault, Xie’s mother, who was on a video call, incited his violent behaviour by saying: “If she does not give you money, beat her to death.”

The attack finally stopped when Lao’s cousin intervened after arriving to find Xie strangling his wife with pyjama bottoms.

Lao was rushed to the Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, where she was admitted to the ICU and spent three months in a coma.

When she woke up, she discovered she had lost her sight, and that the damage was permanent.

Doctors diagnosed her with optic atrophy resulting from intracranial bleeding, which left her blind. She also suffered other severe injuries that left her unable to care for herself.

Her devastated parents, who travelled from Inner Mongolia after learning of the attack, tearfully said: “Seeing our daughter like this felt like a knife cutting our hearts.”

Her family has spent hundreds of thousands of yuan on medical treatments and even mortgaged their home, but doctors have declared that damage to her optic nerves is irreversible.

In an effort to fund her rehabilitation, Lao attempted to reclaim her assets, only to discover that her husband had secretly transferred her car into his mother’s name.

To date, Xie’s family had contributed 36,000 yuan (US$5000) to her medical expenses following police intervention.

“He comes from a wealthy family, worth millions, but they only gave us 36,000 yuan; a contribution made in the hope it would reduce his sentence,” her mother told Spot News.

On Aug 30, the People’s Court of Zhongyuan District in Zhengzhou in Henan province sentenced Xie to 11 years in prison for intentional homicide and ordered him to pay Lao 657,000 yuan (US$93,000) in compensation.

Her parents are currently appealing the decision, seeking a life sentence for Xie.

The case, as reported by Weidu News, has sparked widespread outrage online, with many expressing condemnation for Xie’s actions and questioning the leniency of his sentence.

One person said: “Life imprisonment is the only fair sentence. Please share this story with those advocating for marriage; some people reveal their true nature only after tying the knot.”

Another echoed this sentiment: “They met in 2022, and got married in January 2023. It was such a hasty decision. Couples should date for at least a year or two to truly understand each other and prevent future problems.”

A third person added: “This is a crime. When someone maims another person, why do we label it as ‘domestic violence’? We should avoid downplaying the severity of such actions.” – South China Morning Post