The Daowai district of the city of Harbin, Heilongjiang province is taking the lead in introducing the notion of habeas corpus in the law and establishing a panel to help the victims of domestic violence, the municipal Intermediate People’s Court has announced at a press conference, which it convened to explain a new law on domestic violence that took effect, on March 1.

The court representative said that victims can explain their problem to the people’s court and any evidence they may have. In many cases, the courts say they find it hard to collect evidence because of the private of the matter and the fact the victims believe that it could bring shame to them shouldn’t be made public.

In the past, these cases were seen as a civil dispute and only about 30 percent of the victims could produce evidence, the court spokesman said. But, this new law gives the courts authority to gather evidence and the victim’s testimony in cooperation with local medical facilities.