Woman in China breaks mother-in-law's ribs for prioritising dating over babysitting, husband defends assault

A woman in eastern China fractured four of her mother-in-law's ribs after accusing the older woman of neglecting her grandchildren to pursue a relationship of her own.

Her husband has also been criticised online for defending the attack instead of condemning it.

The case, which took place in Jiaxing, Zhejiang province, was first aired on Zhejiang Television's mediation programme "Qiantang Uncle Mediator" and has since fuelled heated debate on mainland social media over childcare obligations and family violence.

What triggered the confrontation

After losing their father, a man named Jiao and his elder brother remained in their hometown, while their mother, surnamed Shen, moved to Jiaxing with their elder sister, according to the South China Morning Post (SCMP), citing a local television report.

As Jiao and his wife held jobs in separate cities and had two young children between them, they eventually turned to Shen to look after the kids.

Trouble began when the couple's son used the household's home surveillance system to tell his mother he wasn't feeling well, adding that his grandmother had refused to check his temperature despite this.

Worried, Jiao's wife boarded a high-speed train, reaching Shen's home roughly an hour later.

Shen explained that the boy had been acting up and was hard to manage, and mentioned she was also nursing a toothache.

When her daughter-in-law suggested a hospital visit, Shen turned the offer down, saying she would rather go see her boyfriend instead — allegedly declaring:

"I would rather die than look after the grandchildren."

The exchange eventually escalated into physical violence.

Jiao's wife assaulted Shen, leaving her with a bruised face and four fractured ribs, a medical diagnosis later found.

According to reports, this was not an isolated incident. Shen had allegedly been assaulted by her daughter-in-law on previous occasions over the same childcare grievance.

Husband blames mother

Rather than condemning his wife, Jiao defended her conduct.

He did not dispute that his wife had done wrong but instead pinned the blame squarely on his mother.

Jiao called his own mother "immoral" and insisted she "deserved" the beating, according to SCMP, accusing her of valuing her romantic relationship over her grandchildren.

He added that, given his own financial strain, Shen owed him either hands-on childcare or a monthly allowance.

Sister says mother deserves her own happiness

However, Jiao's elder sister publicly disagreed with her brother on the television programme, arguing that their mother, a low-paid sanitation worker who had endured years of hardship, deserved the chance to find companionship in her later years.

She said, as quoted by Sing Tao Daily:

"My mother toiled hard her whole life. Now that she can find a considerate companion in her later years, as her child I feel very supportive of it."

She added that despite her limited income, Shen had transferred more than 100,000 yuan (S$19,070) to her two sons over the years.

For her part, Shen insisted she had no wish to take on her grandchildren's upbringing, and said the assault left her unable to work or keep supporting Jiao financially.

Legal experts weigh in

A lawyer cited by SCMP noted that Jiao's wife could be charged with intentional injury causing minor bodily harm, an offence carrying a jail term of up to three years.

Ma added that the duty to raise and educate children rests legally with the parents rather than grandparents.

This meant that, since both Jiao and his wife were able-bodied and employed, Shen was under no legal obligation to look after the children.

The incident has drawn fierce criticism on mainland social media, largely directed at Jiao and his wife rather than Shen.

One commenter wrote:

"Jiao has failed both as a son and as a father. If he cannot raise his own children, why did he have them?"

Another said: "However aggrieved you may feel, violence solves nothing. The moment you strike someone, the law is no longer on your side."