Woman breaks mother-in-law's ribs over refusal to babysit, sparking debate in China

A woman in China broke her mother-in-law's ribs after the older woman refused to care for her grandchildren and pursued a romantic relationship instead, setting off a heated online debate about grandparents raising grandchildren.

According to the South China Morning Post and Zhejiang TV, a woman surnamed Sun, who lives in Jiaxing, Zhejiang Province and cares for two grandchildren, was recently assaulted by her daughter-in-law over allegations that she was neglecting the children.

The family dispute began when Sun failed to tend to a sick grandchild.

The children's parents had left them in Sun's care while each worked in a different city. Sun's husband has since died.

One of the children told her mother via a closed-circuit television feed that she was feeling unwell but that her grandmother had not taken her temperature. The worried mother boarded a high-speed train and arrived at Sun's home within an hour.

Sun complained to her daughter-in-law that the grandchild was unruly and difficult to handle, and said she herself was suffering from a toothache. When the daughter-in-law offered to take her to a hospital, Sun said she would rather go see her boyfriend, and reportedly added that she would sooner die than keep looking after the grandchildren.

The argument escalated into a physical altercation. Sun was punched in the face and suffered four broken ribs. It was reportedly not the first time Sun had been assaulted by her daughter-in-law over the care of the children.

Sun's son called his mother "immoral" for choosing romance over childcare and defended his wife, saying his mother had "deserved to be hit." He further argued that, given his own financial difficulties, his mother should in fact be giving the couple living expenses.

Sun's daughter, who lives in Jiaxing, took a different view. She said her mother, a low-wage sanitation worker who had labored for years under difficult conditions, deserved to enjoy life with a man her own age.

A legal expert said the daughter-in-law could face up to three years in prison if indicted on charges of intentional assault. The expert also said legal responsibility for raising and educating children rests with the parents, and that the grandmother has no legal obligation to support the children since both parents are capable of working.

Chinese internet users reacted on social media, with comments including: "He has failed both as a son and as a father. If you can't raise your own children, why did you have them?" and "No matter how aggrieved you feel, violence solves nothing."