A man in China abandoned his newlywed wife after her late-stage cancer diagnosis, cutting off all contact and care. - Photo: SCMP composite/Shutterstock
BEIJING: A man in China abandoned his newlywed wife, cutting off all contact and refusing to care for her after she was diagnosed with late-stage cancer.
His outrageous behaviour sparked widespread criticism on mainland social media after he was sentenced to a year suspended jail term handed down by a court in eastern China’s Anhui province on a charge of abandonment, according to a report by Qihu News.
The man, identified only by his surname Feng, married his wife, surnamed Wang, in 2022.
Two months later, Wang was diagnosed with intestinal cancer, which had already progressed to its terminal stage.
Initially, Feng cared for his wife, but after a few months, he used work commitments in another city as an excuse to evade his responsibilities.
Despite Wang and her family’s desperate attempts to reach him, he remained elusive, the report stated.
While undergoing treatment, Wang had to borrow money to cover her hefty hospital bills.
Tragically, she passed away after spending more than 200 days in hospital.
In response to Feng’s failure to provide care or contribute to her medical expenses, Wang’s family filed a lawsuit against him at the Shitai County People’s Court.
Feng had proposed divorce twice while Wang was gravely ill.
Wang’s father condemned Feng for his “vicious behaviour”, citing numerous failed attempts to contact him via phone, messaging apps, and even involving the police and other authorities.
After being summoned back to court, Feng eventually reached a settlement with Wang’s family and secured their forgiveness.
According to Dr Cui Shuanglin from the Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Centre in Guangzhou, a patient with late-stage intestinal cancer has an estimated survival rate of around three years, depending on individual health conditions, as noted on the medical website Youlai.
The case garnered significant attention online, with many condemning Feng’s heartlessness.
“He is not a human being. He abandoned his wife when she needed him the most,” commented one frustrated observer.
Another remarked: “What a cold-blooded person. This crosses all moral boundaries.”
However, one commenter suggested: “It’s essential to have a health check-up before tying the knot.”
A similar case occurred in southern Hunan province in 2018, where a man refused to return to his hometown to care for his wife, who had been diagnosed with uremia, or to pay for her medical treatment.
After his wife’s death, the man did not return home to manage her funeral arrangements and was subsequently sentenced to one year in jail, suspended for two years. - South China Morning Post
