Report shows sharp rise in domestic violence protection orders

More than 1,500 personal safety protection orders against domestic violence have been issued by Chinese courts since 2016, according to a report being considered by China's top legislature.

The report on fighting domestic violence was submitted for review to an ongoing session of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, the country's top legislative body, on Monday.

Data in the report showed that the number of personal safety protection orders issued by courts nationwide in domestic violence cases increased from 52 percent in 2016 to 77.6 percent in 2022.

The figures indicate that such orders are useful and have been more widely applied in the fight to stop domestic violence nationwide, the report said, adding they also show that victims' awareness of and ability to use the orders to protect themselves have also increased.

The NPC Standing Committee adopted China's Anti-Domestic Violence Law in December 2015, and it took effective in March 2016.

Since then, the fight against domestic violence has become a priority for many government agencies and written into their women and children development plans, with multiple regulations, guidelines and policies issued in this regard, said Huang Xiaowei, an official from the National Working Committee on Children and Women under the State Council.

While explaining the report to lawmakers, she noted that prosecutors have also played their role in the fight. Huang also revealed more than 18,000 people have been prosecuted for domestic violence since 2017.

More services, such as temporary shelters, psychological counseling and mediation in family disputes, have been provided by civil affairs agencies for victims of domestic violence in recent year years, she said.

In addition, more than 4,700 stations offering legal assistance have been set up across the country. They handled over 8,900 cases involving abandonment, abuse and domestic cases in 2022, Huang added.