Congratulations to this woman who finally divorces her abusive husband after five years of trying

A few weeks ago, a story gained national attention about a Chinese woman who said she had been trying to escape her abusive, gambling-addicted husband since 2016, but continually had her divorce requests rejected by the family court. But now, according to media reports (in Chinese), the woman has finally succeeded at her fifth attempt at divorce. However, her ex-partner still refuses to give up, complaining to the media that the decision was unfair.

In a ruling handed down today, the People’s Court of Hengyang County in Hunan Province granted a divorce to the plaintiff, Níng Shùnhuā 宁顺花, 33, on the grounds that her marriage was “irretrievably broken.” 

• Ning and her ex-husband, Chén Dìnghuá 陈定华, 35, both showed up at the court hearing on April 30 to make their cases. Chen cited various examples to prove that the pair still had feelings for each other, but the court rendered the evidence inadmissible. 
• Ning, on the other hand, provided documents showing that the couple had been separated since 2016 and that Chen had relentlessly bombarded her and her family with threatening messages after her previous divorce request was denied. Her proof was deemed adequate and reliable by the court.
• Prior to the hearing, local officials told the Beijing News (in Chinese) that they had ordered an extra number of bailiffs to guarantee the safety of Ning, who had previously been physically assaulted by Chen. 

To make a quick, clean exit from the relationship, Ning waived her right to claim parts of the duo’s marital assets, including a home they had bought together. Ning also offered to return her wedding ring and other gifts from Chen, but he turned them down.

• “I’m over the moon. It’s kind of unbelievable. This outcome is a long time coming,” Ning told the Beijing News, adding that marrying Chen was the “worst decision” she had ever made in her life. “He’s super petty and possessive. He probably saw me as his property after our marriage.” 
• Chen was unhappy with the result. The Paper reported (in Chinese) that Chen tried to make an agreement with Ning before the hearing, which included a “clause” that required Ning not to rule out the possibility of remarrying him in the future. He thought the court’s decision was “unfair and unjust,” the paper wrote.

Ning’s legal battle to leave her violent, obsessive husband lasted nearly five years. Her divorce requests were repeatedly rejected by the local court, which persisted in arguing that her abusive marriage was not completely dead, despite issuing a total of three restraining orders against Chen, forbidding him from stalking Ning and harassing her family.

A short, brutish marriage that went on too long

Ning first applied for divorce in 2016, a few months after she got married and discovered Chen’s gambling problem. Her most recent failed attempt was made in 2020, when the court explained in its judgment that it was still holding out hope that the pair could reconcile their struggling relationship if they “increased communication” and “reflected on and rectified their shortcomings.”

After almost every court hearing, Chen retaliated with assaults and harassment. On multiple occasions, Chen told Ning that he would fight her tooth and nail if she didn’t put an end to her quest for divorce.

Feeling that her choices were exhausted, Ning shared her depressing tale with a newspaper earlier this month. Her story immediately captured the attention of many major news outlets and social media users, who criticized the system for trapping Ning in an unhealthy, dangerous situation. The public outrage later led local officials in Hengyang to respond, saying that they were aware of “the discussion on the internet.”

After the divorce, Chen accused Ning of leveraging the power of public opinion to influence the court’s decision.