A woman in southwestern China has been ordered by a court to remove video she posted online after secretly filming her husband and his mistress using a hidden camera. The verdict, handed down by the Teng County Court in the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, was confirmed by a higher court, the South China Morning Post said.
The female, whose surname is Li, had placed a concealed monitoring device inside an apartment leased by her husband, Hu, where he was staying with his mistress, Wang, whose surname is not specified. In August 2023, Wang caught sight of the camera and discovered that private moments between her and Hu had been recorded and distributed repeatedly on social media sites.
Mistress Files Complaint
After discovering, Wang lodged the case with the police and called for the deletion of the video. Upon refusal by Li, Wang sued her and her brothers on grounds of violation of her privacy rights, honor, and personality image. Wang also wanted an apology and monetary compensation for psychological shock and judicial fees.
Defending herself, Li said the flat was leased out by her husband and as his legitimate wife, she was entitled to put in the surveillance cameras for the well-being of her child. She asserted that to share the recording online was an act of desperation to stop her husband from furthering the infidelity, affirming that she had a noble motive. Her siblings, likewise mentioned in the case, distanced themselves and maintained they must not be charged.
Court Admits Privacy Infringement
The Teng County Court admitted that Li had infringed Wang’s rights in law by posting private videos online. Although the court realized that Li could have been acting out of a need to safeguard her marriage, it ruled that she overstepped legal boundaries.
As a result, Li was directed to delete all postings containing Wang. The court, however, rejected Wang’s requests for financial compensation and a public apology on the grounds that “there was no clear evidence of serious mental harm.” The court further noted that Wang’s involvement in an adulterous affair was contrary to ‘public morality and socialist values’.
Wang subsequently challenged the ruling, but in April, the Wuzhou Municipal Intermediate People’s Court affirmed the original ruling, according to Guangxi Legal Daily.
