11-year-old girl kidnapped by Chinese woman to be her future daughter-in-law
CHINA – A Chinese woman named Yang from Liupanshui City, Guizhou Province, kidnapped an 11-year-old girl to be the future wife of her 27-year-old son.
The kidnapping occurred on February 14, 2023, after the girl’s father refused Yang’s request to take her home to Qujing City, Yunnan Province. Despite the father’s refusal, Yang and her son forcibly took the girl when she was alone at home.
The girl’s parents promptly reported the abduction to the authorities, leading to a police investigation. Six days after the abduction, Yang was arrested at her home in Yunnan, and the girl was rescued. Four days following Yang’s arrest, her son surrendered to the police.
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The Shuicheng District Court in Liupanshui sentenced Yang to two years in prison, and her son received a seven-month sentence. They appealed the decision, but the Appeals Court upheld the original sentences in April 2024.
The leniency of these sentences sparked outrage on Chinese social media. Many netizens criticized the court’s decision, arguing that the punishment was too mild and could potentially encourage similar crimes due to the minimal consequences compared to the severity of the act.
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Moreover, the age gap between the son and the kidnapped girl drew significant criticism. The notion of an adult planning a future marriage with an 11-year-old was deemed not only inappropriate but illegal, with calls for harsher punishment for all involved.
This case highlights the persistence of the old tradition of “tong yang xi,” where pre-teen girls are adopted by families to eventually marry their sons. Despite its prohibition in 1950, reports suggest that this practice still occurs in some remote areas of China. This incident is not the first of its kind, reflecting ongoing issues with child brides and trafficking within the country.