A soul-contestant bound and pinned to a wall: a video taken at the end of January in China in which a soul-contestant is seen tied up in a neglected hut, spread on social media – and causes a storm. The woman is seen freezing, chained to a concrete wall and locked in place. Following the documentation, the authorities opened an investigation into the case and a dialogue arose regarding the treatment of people with mental disorders in the country.
A video was later released of the man who apparently tied the woman to the wall, in which he explained that the two have children in common. Some even introduced themselves in the video, but he tried to defend himself, saying, “Other people were watching her from above.” According to local authorities investigating the incident, the woman was previously a beggar and married a man who linked her in 1998.
According to authorities, after the birth of the couple’s second child, local authorities tried to take care of the family – but they failed. It was further reported that the woman was diagnosed with schizophrenia and surprisingly, this time China’s censors did not try to suppress the story or the discussion around it at all.
The video was soon shared on Weibo, China’s leading social network, while open discussions began on investigating the case. Already on the first day the video was published, it gained momentum on the networks and so far more than 76 million Chinese have watched it.
The British Guardian explained that mental health and sexual consent are issues that are neglected in the vast rural areas of China. Officials are also investigating the abusive man, who is not currently facing a criminal indictment. Many angry responders have accused him of abusing and trafficking in human beings, but the county government has said there is no evidence to support these claims.