Man’s ‘marriage’ to mentally disabled woman half his age sparks debate in China

The man said he has been asked to ‘take care’ of the woman by her family

A Chinese man, 55, can be seen consoling a 20-year-old mentally unstable woman after reportedly marrying her (Screengrab)

A video clip purportedly from the marriage of a 55-year-old man to a mentally disabled woman of half his age has sparked a debate in China with many outraged over her possible exploitation.

The video going viral on Chinese social media platform Weibo shows a man wiping the tears of a woman, 20, who is seen crying inconsolably as other female family members explain to her that she is going to a “new home”.

“Look how nice he is to you ... don’t cry, you’re in a new home now,” said a woman in the video.

Officials in China’s Henan Province have refused to allow the man to marry a mentally disabled woman but allowed the two to live together, reported South China Morning Post.

The woman, whose “possession” has been given to the man, cannot walk or talk due to her severe mental condition.

According to Chinese laws, marriage requires the consent of both man and woman to enter the wedlock. However, in the case of mental disabilities, the marriage becomes illegal due to a person’s often inability to provide consent.

Experts say that the law, however, does not stop such couples from living together.

The 55-year-old man reportedly told a local newspaper the video is from their wedding party as they could not register the marriage to obtain a license. He claimed that he would be living with the woman as her parents have given him permission to “take care of her.”

The incident has led to outrage among some who slammed authorities for allowing the custody of the woman to the man.

Following a backlash, the father of the woman released a video defending their decision and said "both parties were satisfied”, adding that no money has been paid by either side.

A lawyer, Zhong Wen, said the marriage will constitute for rape if there is a sexual relationship between the two.

“If there is a sexual relationship involving a mentally handicapped person, there’s a high possibility that it could constitute rape,” he said.