Chasing a son: divorce bid of wife in China whose husband demands a boy after 6 daughters is rejected as court rules marriage has not failed
- Woman flees marriage saying husband treats her like a baby machine and she is exhausted after already having six daughters
- Court refuses to allow woman to divorce husband demanding she keep having kids because judge says she is not being a good mother
A court in China has caused public outrage after refusing to allow a woman with six daughters to divorce her husband, who says she cannot stop having children until she gives him a son.
The woman, surnamed Xiong, from Hunan province in central China, has received an outpouring of sympathy on mainland social media after the court refused her request to divorce her husband, surnamed Ou, and for ordering her to return home to care for her family, Sina News reported.
Xiong had four daughters with Ou before they married in 2015 and then had twin girls.
Xiong said that raising six daughters had left her exhausted but Ou allegedly told her she could not stop having children until she gave him a son. Xiong said she was shocked and realised that Ou viewed her as nothing more than a baby machine.
In October 2019, Xiong had enough, fled to live with her parents and has not had any contact with Ou or her daughters since.
In June this year, Xiong filed for a divorce with a local court saying her marriage with Ou had failed.
However, during the trial, Judge Tan Mengsi took an opposing attitude and accused Xiong of failing to fulfil her “role” by not raising her daughters. Tan claimed that Xiong could not prove her marriage had broken down.
