The lack of family care during childhood and the experience of sexual assault have caused the eyes of the girl in front of us to appear vacant. Her great-uncle also revealed that currently, Minmin's life management and self-interaction abilities show great obstacles; she doesn't want to go home all day, only returning when she is hungry to eat.
Reporting: Nandu reporter Guangyu Wu, intern Xiaolin Chen
Photography: Nandu reporter Hao Huang
Turbulent past still unresolved
Currently, the public security department has filed a case against the involved man on suspicion of rape and handed it over to the procuratorate for prosecution.
Earlier, Minmin might enter a government welfare institute, with her hukou (household registration) being transferred to the collective hukou of the local area, providing a basis for resolving her academic and living issues.
After returning, Minmin lived in a small warehouse rented by her uncle's family, with meals provided by relatives. "The post office dormitory where this house is located had no electricity or water supply, and she is so young that she cannot live alone," said her aunt frankly. Although they are temporarily supporting Minmin now, they cannot bear her future living expenses. "I run a small business, my hukou is not in Guangzhou, I have two children, and it's not feasible to support her long-term."
■ Life Record
Unlocking an iron lock and pushing open the door of the sitting room, the happy childhood of little girl Minmin comes vividly into view. On the dusty desk, there is a glass frame holding dozens of yellowed old photos telling the warmth of this family’s past: Little Minmin, with a radiant smile, innocent and lively, posing on a stone lion in the park; dancing in a pure red dress; cuddling in the arms of her father and grandfather, revealing the carefree laughter of a child...
At age 5, her mother disappeared, and at age 12, her father fell ill... Minmin (a pseudonym), born prematurely in Guangzhou, at age 13 still did not have a hukou, dropped out of school, and was defiled by a man 29 years younger than herself. By the time she was rescued in July this year, she had cohabited with that man for as long as 15 months. How she returns to normal life remains a challenge.
When her daughter went missing, her father became completely broken, filing a report but never finding his daughter. Neighbors said that because Minmin's father didn't have money to buy alcohol, he drank industrial alcohol. According to his death certificate, he passed away from pulmonary infection last December. At the time of his death, he was unable to see his daughter one last time.
Because Minmin's parents were not legally married, and Minmin was delivered by a midwife without a birth certificate, for 13 years, Minmin did not have a hukou. This meant she could not enjoy compulsory education and could not obtain various certificates. Now, having lost both parents, the issue of hukou has become even more pressing. Minmin says her greatest wish is to resolve her hukou issues and return to school like other children.
After Minmin was rescued, her greatest wish was to attend school. However, the high tuition fees left her relatives at a loss. In response, the Civil Affairs Department of Yuexiu District stated yesterday that they would provide assistance according to policy, helping her apply for aid. As for her schooling, they will communicate with the family and educational departments to find the best way for her healthy development, allowing her to receive an education.
Minmin once attended Xinmiao Primary School, but due to frequently delayed tuition payments, she felt that the teachers didn’t like her, and the classmates looked down on her. Sometimes, older students bullied her. Last April, after finishing the first semester of fourth grade, Minmin dropped out due to unpaid tuition. From then on, Minmin wandered aimlessly outside, often staying out late to avoid her father's beatings, only returning home when hungry. Later, Minmin met a man named Mr. Xian while playing around at home. Mr. Xian deceived Minmin to his residence under the pretense of having a computer and offering good food and fun.
Without a hukou, Minmin couldn't attend private schools and had to endure high tuition fees at public schools. For example, when Minmin attended Nianya Primary School from grades one to three, the annual tuition was about 1800 yuan. For the originally financially struggling family, this was adding insult to injury. Minmin's relatives said that her tuition was cobbled together by borrowing from relatives. Minmin also mentioned that due to prolonged delays in paying tuition, the teachers and classmates looked down on her, causing her to frequently not want to go to school. She started dropping out during the first semester of fourth grade.
Father passed away while she wasn't by his side
She once had a beautiful mother
Yesterday, relevant responsible persons from the Civil Affairs Department of Yuexiu District stated that after communicating with Minmin's uncle yesterday, they have persuaded him to act as Minmin's temporary guardian. Since Minmin's mother left home more than seven years ago, according to legal procedures, she can be declared deceased. Currently, the public security department is further advancing the process to confirm Minmin's orphan status.
Minmin's case of being sexually assaulted, reported yesterday by Southern Metropolis Daily, has drawn widespread social attention. Yesterday, in response to Minmin's special situation of lacking hukou and guardianship, relevant departments of Yuexiu District decided after emergency discussions to open a green channel for her, recognizing her as an orphan, and will quickly resolve her hukou and schooling issues. Subsequently, they will arrange a tutoring group for her to catch up on lessons and then enroll her in a nearby public primary school.
[Challenge 2: Schooling] No hukou makes it hard to afford high tuition fees
After being rescued in July this year, Minmin's aunt Ms. Ma told reporters that Minmin's personality had become very peculiar. She easily got into arguments and even physical fights with others, often not returning home until she was hungry. Relatives were at a loss as to how to help her recover.
Such a beloved little girl who once received much affection, whose mother disappeared eight years ago, and who at age 13 was sexually assaulted starting last April for a duration of 15 months, during which time her father passed away, Minmin is no longer being harmed, but she still feels adrift, lonely and helpless. Because she has never had a hukou, she is still considered a "black household."
"Her mother was quite impressive, beautiful, and hardworking, and both inside and outside, she managed everything perfectly." When talking about Minmin's mother, neighbors all praised her highly. But after Minmin's mother left the family, her father Bao Yanjie drowned his sorrows in alcohol daily, becoming increasingly irascible. The alcoholic father seemed like a different person. "Before, my father was very kind, he wouldn't even yell at me, let alone hit me," Minmin recalled. Her father drank every day, didn't work, and would break things, using sticks and hangers to hit her. Only when Bao Yanjie occasionally regained his senses did Minmin vaguely feel some paternal love. But at this point, her father had no stable job, and their lives were particularly difficult.
Recognizing her as an orphan, granting her a collective hukou
Although Minmin was born into an ordinary but relatively affluent family, her father Bao Yanjie was from Shushu Street in Yuexiu District of Guangzhou, and her mother was from Gaotang Village in Duanzheng Town of Wenchang, Guangdong. They had Minmin on August 3, 1998. Minmin remembered that when she was young, her parents hardly ever argued, and her father often took her to the street corner to wait for her mother to finish work. Regardless of what she wanted to eat, her parents always listened to her, and on weekends, they often took her out to play.
Social Worker Expert: Psychological treatment will take at least two years
In response to such situations, Wen Zhenwen, a professor from the Social Work Department of Guangxi University of Technology, believes that children like Minmin, who experienced early sexual trauma and long-term lack of family warmth, and whose cognition of normal life is impaired, resemble "wolf children" in psychology. Placing them in a regular family would make it difficult for them to integrate back into normal life. They should be placed in professional welfare institutions for early psychological treatment and correction, adopting methods of psychological intervention and life care simultaneously. It may take at least two years before they can safely return to normal life.
Until this July, Minmin's aunt learned about her situation and angrily reported the incident, leading to the arrest of the man, Mr. Chen, who had deceived and assaulted her niece. When Minmin returned home again, her father had already been dead for eight months. "I didn't see him for the last time, and I deeply regret it," Minmin said tearfully when talking about her father's passing.
[Challenge 3: Psychology] Suffered sexual abuse, unwilling to return home
[Challenge 1: Hukou] Father alive, mother missing, difficulty entering hukou
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Yuexiu District stated that they would organize women's federations, youth leagues, and streets to form a caring group, arranging psychological counselors and volunteers to guide and assist Minmin, helping her move out of the shadow as soon as possible. Minmin stands by the window of her own home. She says that her current biggest wish is to resolve her hukou issues and return to school.
Due to the disappearance or death of both parents and other direct relatives, and none of the relatives willing to serve as her guardian, lawyer Yang Zhenping from Guangdong Jinglun Law Firm expressed that according to current legal provisions, Minmin, who is now underage, cannot independently establish a hukou. To register in Guangzhou, Minmin could go through either of these two routes: one is to have a relative as her guardian, registering under the relative's hukou. If a relative is willing to voluntarily act as Minmin's guardian, registering in Guangzhou would be relatively simple; if no relatives are willing to serve as her guardian, another route is available, which involves applying for state guardianship through relevant government departments, registering in the collective hukou of welfare institutions like welfare homes. However, relatives previously told Nandu that due to Minmin's long-term lack of care, her personality made it difficult for her to get along with others, and all relatives faced their own family difficulties, making it impossible for them to support her. No one was willing to act as her guardian.
During the more than a year, Minmin lived in a dark wooden attic. She recalled that the wooden attic was very small, only about 11 square meters, with each floor tenant installing lights on wooden stairs. Afraid of the dark and unfamiliar with the light switch location, she dared not go out. Mr. Chen told her he was in his twenties. "He was a good person, not too bad-tempered, sometimes not letting me go out, sometimes letting me go out." That man stayed home all day, sometimes locking the door when going out. He often stared at her. Minmin said that in over a year, she returned home twice, but seeing her violent-tempered father, she chose to leave. "I thought those matters were shameful, and I didn't dare to tell anyone."
Small portion forms a hatred group
Education department participates in school arrangements
Relatives' assistance also faces challenges