Chinese authorities investigate case of mentally ill woman chained up in a shed in freezing temperatures by husband
- A video showed the woman living separately from her husband and children in a shed, dressed in thin clothes in freezing temperatures and being poorly fed
- Despite the efforts by local authorities to reassure them, many internet users said they are not convinced by the investigation so far
Chinese authorities have responded to public concern about a mentally-ill woman who is kept in a hut with an iron chain around her neck by her husband and denied she had been kidnapped after rumours swirled online.
The woman, surnamed Yang, became the source of international concern after a video clip posted on Douyin two weeks ago revealed her living conditions in Fengxian county, Jiangsu, eastern China.
The video showed the woman living alone in a flimsy shed, dressed in thin clothes in freezing temperatures of as low as 0 degrees Celsius and eating poorly. She was chained by her husband, who is surnamed Dong. The husband and the couple’s eight children, aged between 2 and 22 years old, live in a house nearby.
Although the vlogger who shot the video said his intention was to use public opinion to force the husband to treat his wife well, many called on local authorities to investigate and suggested Dong be arrested for abusing Yang.
After the public outrage, local police and a women’s rights association jointly investigated the case at the end of January. Yang was then sent to a local hospital, where she was diagnosed with schizophrenia.