When a Chinese man discovered his wife had been having an extramarital affair and had taken money as payment, the couple was sentenced to six months in prison.
Lu, a 33-year-old father from Shandong, eastern China, made the decision to follow his wife around in March 2021 after seeing that she was taking an unusually lengthy time to get ready to accompany their daughter to her private instructor.
Lu began to suspect his wife of cheating when she entered a nearby hotel, and his suspicions were reinforced when he stormed into her room and discovered her next to a nude man in scant underwear.
Lu kicked his wife and beat the other man, Liu, in a fit of wrath, but he ultimately took Liu’s offer of 25,000 yuan ($3,300).
However, Lu was taken aback when he discovered that Liu had filed a complaint against him for extortion during his divorce procedures.
Lu is still persuaded that Liu’s accusation was orchestrated by his ex-wife, who was hoping to gain the upper hand in a contentious custody dispute involving their young daughter.
A District Court sentenced Lu to six months in prison in November 2021 for blackmailing his wife’s lover and making him pay money.
Despite the 33-year-old man’s appeal, the Zibo Intermediate People’s Court maintained the earlier court’s ruling in March 2022.
In December 2022, he attempted to appeal the ruling once more, but the intermediate court again denied his motion.
Lu, having exhausted all other options, challenged the initial ruling in the Shandong Provincial High Court. The court found that “several facts and evidence were conflicting” and directed the Zibo intermediate court to reevaluate the case.
When the court reheard the case earlier this year, it found that Lu had not coerced Liu into giving him the 25,000 yuan but had instead engaged in negotiations. As a result, Lu was found not guilty.
In addition, the judge decided that the husband’s actions were appropriate because Liu’s behavior violated moral principles, good traditions, and public order.
We covered a similar case last month, in which the husband discovered his wife cheating on him with another guy by using covert cameras in their own house. He was found guilty and received a three-year term.
