Cliff-fall victim divorces would-be killer husband

A Chinese woman, who miraculously survived a 2019 attempt on her life when her husband pushed her from a 34-meter-high cliff in Thailand while she was pregnant, has been granted a divorce from her imprisoned attacker.

A Nanjing court on Friday ruled in her favor, ordering her former husband to pay substantial damages.

The Qinhuai District People's Court in Nanjing, Jiangsu province, announced the verdict, concluding the long-running divorce dispute between Wang Nuannuan and her former husband, surnamed Yu.

The case dates back to June 2019. Yu pushed his pregnant wife off a cliff. She survived the fall but sustained severe injuries, including 17 fractures throughout her body.

Yu was convicted of attempted murder in Thailand and sentenced to 33 years and four months in prison.

However, because Yu was serving his sentence abroad, Wang faced huge legal hurdles in severing the marital tie. The prolonged period during which they remained legally married caused severe disruption to her life.

Due to the defendant's incarceration in a foreign country, legal documents were delivered through international service channels. The trial proceeded on Sept 26 as a non-public session. Wang and her legal representative were present in the courtroom, while Yu participated via a video link from prison.

The court's ruling dissolved the marriage and ordered Yu to pay Wang 500,000 yuan ($69,000) in divorce damages.