Recently, a shocking case of a boy in Shenzhen being sexually abused by his uncle for 7 years has been making waves across the internet. On May 22nd, the topic surged to the top of Weibo’s hot search list with a reading volume reaching 200 million.
According to a report by “Phoenix Weekly” on May 22nd, the boy, known as Song Chen, was molested by his uncle Song Jinyu when he was only 7 years old. After his father had an affair, his mother became cold and easily angered. He felt unable to get close to anyone at school, and the only place he felt safe was at his grandfather’s house on the second floor. His uncle, who had autism, was the person Song Chen found easiest to approach. Taking advantage of the situation, his uncle sexually abused him for 7 years.
At that time, young Song Chen vaguely felt that something was “off,” but he didn’t understand why or how to seek help from the outside world. He began to exhibit abnormal behaviors both mentally and physically, started daydreaming in class, his grades dropped, he argued with his parents at home, transforming from a well-behaved obedient child into a “rebellious problem teen,” even experiencing confusion about his sexual orientation.
It wasn’t until 2016 that he gathered the courage to confide in his parents about the abuse by his uncle. The family was speechless as they sat around the dinner table. His father, citing lack of evidence, claimed they couldn’t take legal action. Upon hearing about it, his grandfather and aunt advised against involving the authorities, arguing that “Ayue (uncle) is already sick,” and if he went to jail, it would “hurt him,” tarnishing the family’s reputation.
His father’s inaction and the toxic family environment worsened Song Chen’s mental state, leading to depression and post-traumatic stress disorder. He underwent medication and physical therapy, ultimately dropping out of high school. “I want to die” became a common phrase on his lips. His sister became the only one who truly understood him, a beacon of light in his darkness.
On April 18, 2022, at the age of 22, Song Chen decided to “put an end to that matter” and seek some form of relief by filing a police report. The case was filed on May 18. On December 23, Song Jinyu was criminally detained, released on bail 24 days later. Towards the end of 2023, his grandfather and aunt revisited the family to negotiate, with his grandfather attempting to use family assets to pressure Song Chen into silence.
“If you win the case, I’ll take back all your father’s properties,” his grandfather said. “There will be no family ties left.”
Song Chen mentioned being “kicked out” and losing a normal life, losing his future.
On June 24, 2024, Song Jinyu was sentenced to 4 years and 6 months in prison for child molestation by the Baoan District Court in Shenzhen. Song Jinyu appealed the decision, which was rejected by the Shenzhen Intermediate Court in February 2025, upholding the original verdict. Song Chen received the second trial verdict on April 16.
However, this punishment held no meaning for Song Chen. He expressed that he was unable to live a normal life, surviving until now was merely “holding on for dear life.”
After the news spread online, netizens expressed their shock and dismay, with comments such as, “It’s tragic. Except for his sister, no one treated him as an independent individual.” “The boy’s father and grandfather are all accomplices,” “Inhumane,” “Only four years, the sentence is too light,” “Can’t they just castrate him? Imprisonment isn’t punishment enough for such a beast.”