They called the police. They showed their wounds. They begged for protection. But when two women in China tried to escape their violent husbands, the system that promised to protect them looked the other way, until it was too late. One woman died from being beaten. The other woman was left severely injured. Their stories rippled across the Chinese internet, setting off a wave of anger over how the authorities treat domestic violence as a private family matter, even as state media has called for “zero tolerance” of abuses. China’s leader, Xi Jinping, said the country needed to “resolutely combat all forms of violence against women” when he spoke at a global summit for women in Beijing last month.

Full commentary : Cases of domestic violence in China point to a legal system that looks good on paper but is failing victims because of a lack of resources and political will.