Legal experts and feminists are hailing the five-year jail term handed to a Nanjing woman this month for murdering her abusive husband as a victory for common sense.
When Ding Xiaolin and her 14-year-old son were attacked by Liu Fenghe after he came home in a drunken rage on November 5, she picked up a hammer and bludgeoned him to death.
After Ding was arrested on suspicion of murder, about 200 of her neighbours appealed to police and pleaded for leniency because she had been severely abused by her husband.
Last week, Nanjing Intermediate People's Court ruled Ding should receive a light sentence as she had suffered abuse throughout her marriage and had repeatedly begged Liu not to injure their son.
Chen Min, a legal specialist with the China-Canada Legislative Co-operation Project, said the sentence was acceptable and highlighted the inconsistencies in the mainland's legal system.
'This sentence is relatively light compared to similar cases in other jurisdictions across the country,' he said.