In China, is ‘family’ becoming a legal shield for rape?

In late 2024, a woman named Bu, who had been missing for over a decade, was found in rural Shanxi province, China. Authorities investigated a man named Zhang for suspected rape, as Bu, who has a history of mental illness, had given birth to his children. Despite acknowledging that Zhang knew of Bu's mental illness, the local procuratorate decided not to prosecute him. They argued that Zhang's intent was to form a family with Bu, and that the two were in a stable cohabiting relationship after becoming familiar with each other. The decision to drop the investigation has raised concerns about whether Chinese law is using the concept of "family" to shield perpetrators of sexual assault.

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