At least five suits have been filed under the protection of China's first-ever Domestic Violence Law, which first came into effect on Tuesday, marking an end to the legal vacuum and a watershed moment for China's anti-domestic violence activists.
One of the first personal security orders was issued to a 61-year-old woman surnamed Gu from suburban Beijing. Her husband, 59, surnamed Zhao, knelt down and said, "I promise I won't beat you anymore," as the cameras rolled.
The first protection order in the eastern province of Shandong was issued to Kong Suying, the wife of Rong Lanxiang, the founder of the controversial vocational school Lanxiang which was reported to be linked with cyberattack cases.
Hunan, Jiangsu, Zhejiang Provinces also each issued their first protection orders, which offer protection to the victims from the contact from their abusers for an initial period ranging from three to six months.