Beaten Russian wife compensated
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A Russian mother-of-two repeatedly beaten with a stick and a belt by her wealthy Chinese husband has been awarded 300,000 yuan (US$44,000) in compensation by a Beijing court.
Alena Korableva, 31, suffered a ruptured spleen and severe bruising after being attacked during heated arguments with her husband Liu Jue at their multi-million-yuan villa in Shunyi district on May 10 and 11.
Liu, 39, was charged with intentional injury and ordered by Shunyi district court to pay 300,000 yuan in compensation to his wife. He will be sentenced at a later date and faces up to 5 years in jail.
Korableva has returned to Russia with her sons, aged 2 and 8, and did not appear in court on Thursday, however she told the Beijing Morning Post earlier this year that the couple were happily married until 2007, when Liu's temper became a problem.
"He once beat my 8-year-old son on the head with a scabbard, but he insisted it was his educational method and prevented me from intervening," the wounded woman said in an interview from her hospital bed at Peking University First Hospital on May 18.
At the request of Liu's mother, METRO was refused entry to the courtroom, but court sources said Liu was charged with beating his wife with a stick and a belt during an argument on May 10. The next day, the couple again argued and Liu kicked his wife's stomach. According to forensic evidence, Korableva suffered a ruptured spleen, internal bleeding and bruising. Liu was detained shortly afterwards and remains at Shunyi detention house.
Korableva told the media report that the couple had been fighting over her desire to return to work. After she sought advice from a divorce counselor the following day, Liu became angry when they discussed the children's future.
Speaking to METRO outside the court, Liu, a manager of the Hummer Club, a recreational club for owners of the luxury vehicle, said he was very sorry. He said Korableva was a dancer in a restaurant when the couple first met in 1999 and he fell in love with her at first sight. She later quit her job and the couple married in August 2000.
"I am really regretful. I hope to compensate my wife. I can give her the villa, the cars and money. Just for the forgiveness," Liu said in a room supervised by police.
"I only argued with her twice before and never realized how serious this third time would be. All of our arguments were just caused by some domestic trifles."
Her lawyer Sun Guiling said Korableva was in Russia, but would soon return to Beijing to attend the divorce hearing and Liu's sentencing.
When METRO contacted the Hummer Club for comment, the spokesperson said: "He doesn't work for the Hummer Club anymore. Don't call us again."
The case prompted heated debate on the Internet in May, when a media report was forwarded almost 3,960 times to Chinese websites, according to statistical data from baidu.com. Many netizens commented that Liu had harmed the reputation of Chinese men in mixed marriages.
Liu Weimin, a family law expert, said statistics show that domestic violence is a problem in about 30 percent of families in China. He said based on his research and working experience, this figure dropped to about 20 percent in mixed marriages.
According to data from the municipal bureau of civil affairs, the number of mixed marriages, involving a Chinese national and foreigner, in Beijing has grown steadily since 2000. About 1,000 mixed couples tie the knot every year in Beijing.
In 2008, there were 1,169 mixed marriage. And in the same year, there were 88 divorces among mixed couples.
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