AN underage girl in Longhua District recently received Shenzhen’s first writ of habeas corpus from Bao’an People’s Court that prohibits her parents from physically abusing her, the Shenzhen Special Zone Daily reported.

The writ will be valid for six months, during which the girl’s parents will be fined, detained or imprisoned if they violate the family laws and abuse their children. It is the first ever personal protection order issued by a Shenzhen court.

The Niuhu Police Station in Longhua received a call from the Shenzhen Children’s Hospital in December that accused a couple of physically abusing their daughter, leaving her badly burnt and injured.

Police found out that the girl, identified as Xiaoyi, was not yet 10 years old and had been severely burnt by hot water.

Xiaoyi’s parents were migrant workers in Guanluan. The family has four daughters. Xiaoyi was growing slower than her peers due to malnutrition.

According to the couple, they sometimes beat her with their hands or objects like a cloth hanger or broom to “discipline” Xiaoyi. The mother said accidentally she forgot to turn down the heat level and burnt Xiaoyi when the girl was taking a bath.

After an investigation, the public security bureau in Bao’an applied to the court for a writ of habeas corpus for Xiaoyi and gained approval.

The mother was currently pending trial. Xiaoyi’s parents said they now recognized that they had adopted a wrong education method and would correct their behavior.

Social workers were assigned to Xiaoyi’s home to intervene in the parenting and help solve the family’s problems.

The writ of habeas corpus is a compulsory enforcement to protect victims of domestic violence. Violations of the writ will lead to punishment depending on the seriousness. (Zhang Qian)