Shanghai, China

A court in China has ordered a man to compensate his differently-abled wife with 30,000 yuan (approximately $4,200) after he insulted her by calling her "trash." According to the South China Morning Post (SCMP), the court called the man, identified as Zhao, as a domestic abuser for frequently insulting his wife, named Qian. The couple, who married in 2007 and has two children, faced significant changes after Qian became disabled in a 2015 traffic accident.

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Following the accident, Zhao's behaviour towards his wife deteriorated, as reported by the outlet. He began disrespecting Qian, neglecting her, and verbally abusing her. When he initiated divorce proceedings, Qian agreed and sought damages. During multiple hearings, the court learned that Zhao displayed no affection or care for his wife. Instead, he consistently humiliated and oppressed her when she required additional support due to her disability.

The court found that Zhao had caused harm to Qian, ruling that his demeaning behaviour towards his wife amounted to psychological abuse and his verbal attacks constituted domestic violence.

The court ruled that Zhao must compensate Qian with 30,000 yuan and receive only 40 per cent of the jointly-owned property's value.

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Enraged Chinese social media 

The story sparked widespread outrage among users on Chinese social media. "There was no need to humiliate her. She must have suffered a lot," one user said. "Since the beginning of her disability, the man's purpose has clearly been to divorce her," said another.

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"Do you not think the penalty was too mild?" asked another. "How did she tolerate the abuse for years? Poor woman," expressed a fourth user. 

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It is worth noting that China's Anti-Domestic Violence Law of 2016 states that abusers who inflict severe injury or death upon victims can face imprisonment for up to seven years.

(With inputs from agencies)