Xiaojun (second from right) sits side by side with her mother. Their happiness stems from her forgiveness and her mother's repentance. Six years ago, the mother who brutally cut off her daughter's ears was eventually sentenced to probation. Six years later, the daughter has become a beautician and even helps her mother educate her younger brother.
Six years ago, Xiaojun, not yet 14 years old, had both of her ears cruelly cut off by her mother. After the first trial where her mother was sentenced to actual imprisonment, Xiaojun, after much hesitation, ultimately chose to forgive her mother and requested the court to impose a lighter sentence. In the end, her mother was sentenced to probation and returned to the family.
Six years later, this mother-daughter duo, once highly followed in the "ear-cutting" case, sat side by side and openly accepted interviews from reporters. "For her, I always feel indebted, wanting to be better to her. She said, mom, you don't have to favor me so much," Xiaojun's mother Ms. Chen told reporters yesterday. Guangzhou Intermediate People's Court Juvenile Tribunal Judge Chen Haiyi, who accompanied them, also candidly admitted for the first time that she once had concerns about the probation sentence, but seeing the situation today, she felt greatly consoled.
Article, photo / Reporters Liu Xiaoxing, Zhang Cheng, Communication Officer Su Fa Xuan
Tragedy: Mother cuts off daughter's ears out of hatred for disobedience
At around 10 p.m. on October 26, 2005, in a rented house in Huadu District’s Xinhua Street, Xiaojun was sleeping soundly when she was suddenly awakened by a noise. Opening her eyes, she saw her mother Chen sitting on her bed with a knife. Chen twisted Xiaojun's hands behind her back, sat on top of her body, and placed her head on the quilt. Amidst Xiaojun's screams, Chen used a kitchen knife to first cut off her left ear, then her right. Afterward, she flushed the ears down the toilet and called her husband, who was working a night shift as a taxi driver, asking him to take their daughter to the hospital. Subsequently, Chen quietly sat at home waiting for the police to take her away.
Why would a mother resort to such extreme measures against her own daughter? In Chen's view at the time, everything stemmed from her daughter's disobedience. During the investigation, Chen stated: "She stole money and rice from home to sell, then went to restaurants with classmates. Once, she didn't come home for several days. When I tried to bring her home, she actually shouted for help and told others that I wasn't her biological mother... Since she wouldn't listen to me, I decided to cut off her ears!"
On May 10, 2007, the Huadu District Court in Guangzhou sentenced Chen to six years in prison for intentional injury.
Forgiveness: With the judge's efforts, the daughter forgave her mother
With the great assistance of concerned individuals in society, Xiaojun was able to undergo ear reconstruction surgery. However, upon learning that her mother had been sentenced to prison, Xiaojun, whose mood had just improved, fell silent again. Chen believed that the Huadu Court had imposed an overly harsh sentence and appealed to the Guangzhou Intermediate People's Court. Upon receiving the case, Judge Chen Haiyi from the Juvenile Tribunal of the Guangzhou Intermediate People's Court decided to first visit Xiaojun's family together with social workers from the Huadu Youth Court Friends program. Chen Haiyi learned that Xiaojun's family had lived in Huadu for many years; her father Duan worked as a taxi driver with a decent income, while Chen took care of Xiaojun and her younger brother at home. Due to her low level of education and long-term disconnection from society, Chen spent her days revolving around household chores. Having grown up being beaten and scolded by her parents, Chen herself believed that children needed to be disciplined to listen. As Xiaojun refused to heed her words, her younger brother also started showing signs of rebellion, often loitering in internet cafes.
"In such a family, if the mother is absent, it will surely fall apart. If Duan remarries, the children, having already experienced such a major upheaval, would then have to accept a stepmother, which would be psychologically difficult for them to bear." With this thought in mind, Chen Haiyi, along with social worker Xu Zhijian, approached the local judicial office and police station. After much communication, they agreed to supervise this family. Meanwhile, Xiaojun and her family also came to terms with the situation and were willing to make efforts to forgive Chen.
Finally, Chen Haiyi visited the detention center and had a detailed conversation with Chen. Chen promised that she would no longer use violence against her children.
In August 2007, the Guangzhou Intermediate People's Court made its second-instance ruling, sentencing Chen to three years in prison, suspended for five years. After the verdict was announced, Xiaojun tightly embraced her mother.
Current Status: The mother constantly feels guilty, while the daughter comes to console her
Six years have passed, and after undergoing ear reconstruction surgery, Xiaojun's ears appear almost normal unless examined closely. Yesterday, during the interview with her parents, Xiaojun was elegantly dressed in a white windbreaker and jeans, looking very beautiful and fashionable. Now, she is a beautician. According to social worker Xu Zhijian, after the incident, Xiaojun transferred to a private school with the help of social workers and continued her studies, even becoming the class discipline commissioner. After graduating from junior high school, Xiaojun started working at a beauty salon. Xiaojun says that she hopes to earn more money and eventually open her own beauty salon. Nowadays, her relationship with her mother has greatly improved compared to before. Previously prone to constant arguments with her mother, she now often helps her mother educate her younger brother. "He says he wants to earn money like me and buy himself a computer. So, I tell him, you need to study well to earn more money." Hearing this, Chen couldn't help but smile. She said, "In the past, my daughter always said I favored boys over girls. After that incident, I always felt I owed her something, so I treated her even better. But she comforted me, saying, mom, you don't have to especially favor me." Next August, Chen's probation period will be over, and she hopes to go out and work to reconnect with society. Her husband joked beside her, "She does everything very slowly, can wander around the market all morning buying groceries, and people will definitely complain about her slowness at work." Xiaojun quickly defended her mother, saying, "Mom is careful when doing things, not slow!"
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