An abusive mother in Jiangsu province who made headlines last year for maltreating his adopted son was released on Sunday after a six-month prison sentence. 

Li Zhengqin repeatedly beat his adopted son, 10-year-old Shi, for lying and not doing his homework, with the netizens dubbing her as a "tiger mom."  Li adopted Shi from her cousin who lived in a rural area. 

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The situation outside the prison gates was alike to a drama scene, with Li's cousin (Shi's biological mother), kneeling down the ground, crying, and shouted, "My cousin, I'm sorry for what you suffered." 

Shi also ran into Li's arm. 

"My boy, mama is home," Li tearfully told her son. 

Abused child

Photos of Shi with raw marks from apparent numerous whipping circulated online last year. Shi had bloodied marks on his hands, back, and feet. Li was later detained while the boy was returned to his biological parents. 

"I've tried in vain for three years to help him stop lying. I was afraid that he might develop other bad habits in the future. I wanted to educate him and didn't mean to hurt him. I did beat him that night, but I didn't beat him hard," Li said during the trial. 

Bu after an investigation showed that 10 percent of the boy's body had minor wounds, Nanjing's local court ruled that Li had gone "too far" when he beat her son with a back scratcher and a skipping rope. She was sentenced to six months of jailtime. 

"I'm not a bad mother. I was just trying to discipline my child," Li insisted. 

Li's lawyer hired two forensic experts who said that the Shi's injuries were not serious enough to be identified as minor injuries. 

Parents' side 

But Shi's biological parents, one of them Li's cousin, was not happy with the ruling. They believe that Li loved the boy but had dealt with the issue in an "overzealous fashion." 

Shi was adopted when he was six years old, as his biological parents believe that he will have a better life in the city. Besides, the adoptive parents are a lawyer and a journalist, ensuring a comfortable life for the child. 

Zhang, the boy's biological mother, even sued the person who originally posted the photos on Weibo, a Twitter-like Chinese social media network. Zhang claims that the teacher who uploaded the photos infringed on their family's "privacy, reputation, and the right of portrait," especially as the poster revealed that the child was adopted. 

The child, meanwhile, seems to be also longing for Li. According to Zhang, the boy's school grades started to fall when Li was taken into custody. A video of created by the boy where he said that he wanted Li to return was shown during the trial. 

Tagstiger mom, mother in China abuse parents, Asian parents, Child abuse