By Chen Hong (China Daily)
Updated: 2007-10-11 07:32

Rural women committing more crimes in Yunnan

The growing frequency of crimes committed by rural women has become "a social issue that can no longer be neglected," according to a report released by a court in Southwest China's Yunnan Province.

Statistics provided by the Qujing Intermediate People's Court showed an increase in the number of cases involving women committed in first half of every year since 2004 - 60 in the first half of 2004; 100 in the first half of 2005; 140 in the first half of 2006; and 101 during the first half of this year, the Legal Daily reported yesterday.

Of the total number, more than 66 percent involved physical assault, undermining social production and management, the abduction of women and children or drug trafficking.

Many of the cases involved civil disputes and love entanglements, negligence and premeditated crime.

Married women, mainly between the ages of 28 and 48, committed 90 percent of the crimes.

Most of the rural women criminals had low levels of education: Some 70 percent had either received no education or had not completed primary school.

The investigation also found that many of the crimes were committed in response to unbearable mistreatment. Many of the women had apparently responded to abuse with violence because they were unaware of their right to seek legal redress.

"A lack of awareness of the law, a fragile psychology and an inability to adjust to social changes have together led to an increasing number of crimes committed by rural women," an official with the court was quoted by the paper as saying.

Under pressure from rapid social changes, women criminals are also victims, as well.

For example, in some rural areas, parents still arrange marriages, leading some women to fight for their right to wed whomever they please. They occasionally break the law in the process.

The official called for more official efforts to help rural women by teaching them about the law and their rights.

Drug trafficking seems to be troubling some parts of Yunnan, which shares a 4,000-km border with Myanmar, Thailand and Laos, the so-called "Golden Triangle" of drug production.

"The province has fallen prey to drug-dealing as well as human trafficking," Li Ying, deputy director of the Center for Women's Law & Legal Services of Peking University, said.

"The situation is quite different from what is happening in developed areas such as Shanghai and Guangzhou."

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