Cao Ruyi Returns Home After Five-Day Detention, Still Ordered to Undergo Abortion

 

 

Reports by Women’s Rights in China volunteers indicate that after several days of domestic and international media and public pressure, Cao Ruyi, the pregnant woman who had been detained for five days by Hongshan District, Changsha Family Planning Commission, was allowed to return home. However, government threats to forcibly terminate her pregnancy remain.

 

 

 

Around 9 o’clock on June 10th, after performing an ultrasound exam on Cao Ruyi in the Hunan Province Women and Children’s Hospital, family planning officials planned to detain her at the Changsha County Women and Children’s Hospital. Despite heavy coercion, Cao resisted with determination. Family Planning officials brought her to one of three permanently rented rooms in the Beifu Hotel. They forced her to sign the Order to Terminate Pregnancy within Set Time, with the stipulation that she must have an abortion before October 16th. Past that date, she would be fined the “end of pregnancy collateral”. Cao signed the document in utter exhaustion. She returned home at noon accompanied by a cousin and a WRIC volunteer.

 

 

 

Cao Ruyi told the WRIC volunteer that the “collateral” was set by the Family Planning Commission at between 2,000 to 10,000 yuan. Because of her “bad attitude”, the fine for her was 10,000 yuan. If she did not pay the fine in time, the birth of the child would mean fines of over 100,000 yuan. Cao was determined to have the child. Cao was unemployed. Her husband had to support the whole family including Cao’s mother-in-law. The financial situation of the family was difficult. Paying the fines would be impossible.