Yuan Yuan is a 12-year-old boy. Yuan Yuan’s mother was given custody of him when she divorced her husband a few years ago. In 1998, Yuan Yuan and his mother began to practice Falun Gong. They benefited both mentally and physically.

In April 2000, Yuan Yuan’s mother was illegally detained for practicing Falun Gong. To punish her, the court changed Yuan Yuan’s custody to his father. Yuan Yuan’s mother was later released, but was rearrested in 2001. After her release, Yuan Yuan requested that his custody be returned to his mother. His father always used violence to control him and often vented his anger at Yuan Yuan. One time he injured YuanYuan’s head, and the boy could not lay his head on a pillow for more than 10 days. His grades in school also declined.

In October 2001, Yuan Yuan filed a petition to the court to return custody to his mother. According to the law, if a child is over ten years of age, the court should consider the child’s wish. Yuan Yuan had the right to choose to be with his mother. Yet the court used the fact that his mother practices Falun Gong as an excuse and ruled that custody should be given to the father. This 12-year-old boy’s appeal to be with his mother was rejected.

type=Case, Children; type=Case, Family;