Voice for the vulnerable

She is the high-profile former American spouse of self-styled entrepreneur and founder of the Crazy English franchise Li Yang who made headlines in December last year during a bitter, public divorce hearing.

She unwittingly became an advocate for women in violent relationships when she posted pictures, looking bloody and bruised, after violence allegedly at the hands of her husband. She is a fighter who never cowers in the face of intimidation, most recently when a teenage boy spotted her on the Beijing subway, spat in her direction and told her he wished her husband had beaten her to death.

 As with the rogue delinquent, she stood her ground and spoke out for millions of Chinese women who have suffered from domestic violence. She is Kim Lee.

Courage to come forward

Lee's abuse came to light after she posted photos of her bruised and swollen forehead and knees on microblogging service Weibo in August last year. She and her husband's three daughters were nine, five and three at time. "He dragged my hair and pushed me to the ground just in front of our 3-year-old daughter," Kim recalled of the harrowing ordeal.

Li continued his appearances on various popular TV programs during the period of alleged abuse, maintaining his popular persona yet secretly growing increasingly isolated from his wife and three daughters. Lee, 40, spent Christmas with her three children back in her native Florida. Legal proceedings for the divorce, which had its first hearing on December 15, are still ongoing.

Kim recalled how she sustained more than just physical abuse, with verbal attacks from her estranged husband constant and threatening text messages routine toward the end of their marriage. Li boasted on TV programs how his marriage to an American woman was purely experimental, and his children were mere guinea pigs.

Lee has made a point, however, to underline that Li Yang shouldn't tarnish the reputation of the many loyal, loving Chinese husbands who are role model fathers. She has also resisted speaking derogatorily about Li to their daughters. She told her children that although adults sometimes stop loving each other, parents never stop loving their kids.

China's 'weak laws' on abuse

Lee taught tens of thousands of students during her 13-year tenure as a teacher with Crazy English, but never considered that some of her students might have been victims of domestic violence. Figures released by the All-China Women's Federation in 2009 revealed around 50,000 domestic violence complaints are made every year. However, the organization added for every reported claim, many more go unreported.

Since becoming a public figure in the fight against domestic violence, Lee has received a wave of support from people supporting her zero-tolerance stance on physical and psychological abuse.　

"I have received more than 300 letters from former students, some who have shared stories a lot worse than mine," Lee said, holding back tears.

The plight of China's domestic violence victims was thrust in the spotlight in 2009 when 26-year-old Dong Shanshan was beaten to death by her husband. Dong, along with her parents, had reported the violence to police eight times leading up to her fatal beating. Dong's husband, Wang Guangyu, was sentenced to six years in prison, a punishment that attracted public outcry for its leniency and spurred an anti-violence bill by lawmakers. By contrast, in most Western countries, victims of domestic violence can apply for a restraining order without having to provide a burden of proof or endure lengthy, multiple court hearings.

"Where else in the world can a man beat his wife then still go on TV and visit middle schools giving speeches to students? Chinese law is too weak," Lee stated, acknowledging her US citizenship provided an option to leave her violent spouse that is unavailable to most victims in China.

"Every woman has the right to live without being beaten. It has nothing to do with whether you are Chinese or American - everyone is equal," Lee said. She has written free materials for Beijing-based NGO The Maple Women's Psychological Counseling Center, which have been distributed to universities to raise public awareness about domestic violence.

Back to school

Lee has also spoken at Beijing Normal University, hinting that in the future she will "continue this campaign, and speak out more strongly" against domestic violence.

Lee, whose three daughters are currently staying with her mother in the US, spent Spring Festival on her own in Beijing and is preparing for the next hearing in her divorce case. She said her daughters had enjoyed telling their grandmother about Spring Festival customs, including fireworks, dumplings and the significance of the Year of the Dragon. Lee affectionately describes her children as "three little ambassadors" for Chinese culture, adding she will support them whether they choose to live in the US or China.

As for her, she's keen to return to the classroom and teach again in Beijing. "That's what I was born to do," she said enthusiastically. Aside from teaching, she will continue to be an advocate for domestic violence victims and encourage tougher legislation to stamp out abuse in Chinese homes.