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A 34-year-old woman in China was confined to a psychiatric hospital for over 10 years after her recovery due to her family's refusal to release her. The incident, which took place at Xiamen Xianyue Hospital in Fujian province, was revealed through an anonymous online post. The woman, admitted at the age of 20, met discharge criteria but remained confined as her parents refused to sign the necessary documents.
An insider, whose wife had been treated at the same hospital, recounted meeting the woman about four or five years ago. The woman, from the same village as the insider, explained her plight, stating that despite being told by doctors that she no longer needed medication, her family never came to take her home. The insider contacted the woman's aunt, who mentioned a "family dispute" as the reason for her continued confinement.
The issue resurfaced on May 22 when the insider was at the hospital to process his wife's discharge. He filed a complaint with the Xiamen Municipal People’s Government’s service hotline, seeking help from the Xiamen Women’s Federation. Hospital staff and the federation confirmed that the woman met the discharge standards, but her involuntary admission required family consent for release, which was repeatedly declined.
On June 6, the women’s federation spoke with the woman's mother, who deferred responsibility to the woman's father. The federation then reached out to the woman’s uncle, hoping to resolve the issue. The director of the Gaodian Residential Committee in Xiamen noted that the father had been covering her hospital expenses through the uncle, suggesting that the parents did care for her, despite the situation.
Finally, on June 12, the woman was discharged from the hospital. She was provided with a job in property management and assistance to readjust to society. The case sparked outrage on mainland social media, with many expressing disbelief and anger over her lost years.
“How terrifying! How many decades does one have in a lifetime?” said one commenter. Another questioned, “Can she sue her parents? 10 years! She was admitted at 20 and only got out at 34, wasting her most valuable years in a psychiatric hospital just because of family disputes. How can such people be parents?”
Source: SCMP
