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Family group chats can be overwhelming, but one father took things too far by exposing his domestic disputes in public
A court in Shanghai, China, recently handled a case where a man repeatedly used his son's school chat groups to pick fights with his estranged wife.
The Shanghai Pudong New Area People's Court issued a personal protection order against the man, surnamed Lin, ruling that his digital outbursts constituted domestic violence.
Since November last year, Lin has used public chat groups to launch a digital tirade against his wife and in-laws
According to South China Morning Post, he posted highly derogatory messages in his son's class, parent, and neighbourhood groups, accusing his estranged family of alienating him from his child.
The continuous public outbursts embarrassed his son, referred to as Lin Junior, in front of teachers and classmates.
This prompted the boy to seek legal intervention, requesting an order to stop the messages and harassment.
The court ultimately decided that digital spaces are not exempt from the rules of personal dignity and privacy.
The judge determined that broadcasting private family matters in public cyberspace crossed a line and violated Lin Junior's rights
Consequently, the protection order barred the father from stalking, harassing, or threatening his son through calls and online posts.
However, the court denied a complete no-contact request, ensuring that the father still retains his legal right to visit his child.
Netizens widely supported the legal action, noting that emotional abuse leaves deep scars on the younger generation.
Under China's Anti-Domestic Violence Law, psychological harm such as verbal abuse is officially recognised as a form of domestic violence.
