Last week, a 50-something Chinese man got on his knees in Baishan City in Jilin Province, China. He begged a judge to grant him a divorce from his wife, even though the two recently retook their vows.
The man, Li Gang, makes about US$473 a month working, while his wife Wang Li is a home maker. The problems started to appear when Li would spend most of his free time playing online games and drinking with friends. Unhappy with what her husband was doing, Wang would berate him and hit him.
Being fed up with being told what to do, Li Gang, went out to internet cafes to drink and play games. At first, Li Gang ignored everything, but his wife's violence progressed. She started to use a real force, and she even cut Wang Li with a knife.
Unable to take the beatings anymore, Li Gang decided to file for divorce against his wife. When the courts summoned Wang Li, she did not appear; this prompted the presiding judge to dismiss Li Gang's case.
"Often times in these situations, the woman would refuse a divorce," said the judge.
Because of this, Li Gang got on his knees and begged for a divorce. Despite his plea, the judge did not grant the divorce.
A few weeks later the Women's Federation of China (a women's rights group) learned about the case, they went to Li Gang's home to investigate the incident. After confirming that Li Gang should be able to divorce his wife, they successfully appealed on his behalf in the courts.
When Li Gang heard that his divorce was finally granted and legalized, he gave his unemployed ex-wife $788 out of the goodness of his heart.
50岁男子玩网游遭家暴 跪求法官判离婚 [Tencent]
(Top photo: pcruciatti | Shutterstock)