A video of a beauty vlogger from Chongqing accusing her ex-boyfriend of severe domestic violence has gone viral after it was published on Sina Weibo on Monday afternoon.
The video, which was posted on United Nations' International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, has raised heated discussion on the issue across the country.
Local police said on its Sina Weibo account on Tuesday that relevant departments have paid a lot of attention to this incident and have started an investigation.
The Chongqing Women's Federation expressed strong condemnation of all forms of domestic violence and offered assistance to the vlogger.
Using the pseudonym Yuyamika, 28-year-old He Yuhong became an international online celebrity after she uploaded her facial transformation video to social media last May.
With the power of makeup, she turns herself into famous oil paintings like Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa and Lady with an Ermine, as well as Johannes Vermeer's Girl with a Pearl Earring.
In the 12-minute video, He discussed five incidences of violent abuse she experienced at the hands of her ex-boyfriend since April 8.
The video also includes a surveillance video of her boyfriend dragging He out of an elevator at their building and interviews with two women, who claimed to be his ex-wives, saying they also suffered from his physical abuse, threats and mental torture.
"I have suffered from domestic violence, and the past six months were a nightmare," He wrote on Sina Weibo.
"To prevent this from happening again to others, I have to tell everything about it."
Her boyfriend has not responded to the media report and has shut down the comment function of his Sina Weibo account.
About one-third of 270 million Chinese families witness domestic violence against married women, according to the All-China Women's Federation.
To better protect women's rights, China enacted the Anti-domestic Violence Law in 2016.
Since it is often difficult to collect evidence to sue abusers in domestic violence cases, "applying for a restraining order is a good way to protect women from violence," said Wu Yan, a lawyer with the Beijing Bairui Law Firm Zhengzhou branch in Henan province.
According to the law, anyone who is a victim of domestic violence can file for a restraining order, and the court must grant the applicant a restraining order or deny their request within 72 hours.
The annual report of the Supreme People's Court shows that courts across China issued 1,589 restraining orders in 2018.
