Editor's Note:

The story Girl, 2, declared brain-dead appeared on January 11 in Metro Beijing. It was about a 2-year-old girl admitted to Tongren Hospital in Daxing district after allegedly being abused by her father surnamed Li. The young girl was confirmed to have suffered brain death despite medics' efforts to revive her over two days. Police are continuing to investigate the case, which has shocked the public and raised questions about the effectiveness of China's domestic violence laws.

The story:

At 11 pm on January 8, 2-year-old Yangyang (pseudonym) was sent to Tongren Hospital with severe injuries to her head and body that doctors labeled "suspicious." Hospital staff called the local police, who arrived the next day to investigate the case.

Some media outlets reported claims that Li had kicked Yangyang off her bed because she was misbehaving. This was based on testimony from witnesses who visited the young victim on Tuesday night, although how exactly she suffered her injuries is still under investigation.

Yangyang was declared brain-dead on Wednesday after it was found she could no longer breathe without a ventilator. On Thursday, doctors confirmed her vegetative state after conducting a CT scan.

Police were sent to the hospital to supervise Yangyang's parents, who have yet to be arrested or charged.

Peng Kun, an attorney at Beijing Longan Law Firm, said the fact Yangyang was technically still alive meant Li could face a more lenient sentence if convicted of child abuse.

"The definition of death is judged when the heart stops rather than brain death, but if her death was caused by the negligence of her father or the girl is still being kept alive via ventilator, the father might still face at least 10 years in jail or even the death penalty," he said.

The back story:

Child abuse cases have made headlines in China over recent years with varying circumstances, although all have proved shocking in their nature. On November 15, 2011, 5-year-old girl Xiao Mei (pseudonym) in Fujian Province was killed after her mother forced her to swallow chips and beat her when she resisted, the Yangtse Evening Post reported on December 21, 2011.

The Beijing Morning Post broke Yangyang's story on January 10. Li admitted he had beaten his daughter when questioned by a doctor, the Legal Mirror reported on January 11.

To investigate the case further, I visited Tongren Hospital on Thursday afternoon.

I had earlier spoken to the hospital's media officer, who confirmed that Yangyang had been admitted Tuesday night and that police were investigating her case.

Other reporters warned me they had been threatened and manhandled by Li and his relatives when they tried to question them, but I decided I would still try my luck.

Walking down the hospital's narrow corridor filled with anxious parents accompanying children holding intravenous drip bags, I reached the observation room where Yangyang was being treated. Her room was off-limits to everyone except hospital staff and relatives.

Doctors and nurses were evasive when I asked questions, telling me they were too busy.

Finally, a nurse surnamed Zhang said she was willing to talk. She told me Yangyang's current room was too small, but moving her was a painstaking task because she relied on a ventilator.

An anonymous cop from the Boxinglu police said investigation notes for the case had been transferred to the Yizhuang police, who declined to comment. Plainclothes police officers took turns monitoring Yangyang's parents while I was at the hospital to ensure they didn't flee. Police appeared reluctant to arrest the couple until they had sufficient evidence they were responsible for beating Yangyang.

In the corridor outside her room, I met a 60-year-old man who claimed to be Yangyang's paternal grandfather. As I suspected, he refused to talk about how she suffered her injuries. "If you care so much about her condition then you should pay her medical bills," he told me.

A 40-year-old woman, who identified herself as the maternal aunt of the girl, was the only relative who agreed to talk at any length to me. She rejected claims Yangyang had been kicked as "nothing more than a rumor," noting the family felt "deeply sad" about the young girl's brain-dead state. Just as she appeared to be opening up, Li stormed out into the corridor and rebuked her for speaking to me.

For four hours, I along with other reporters waited for news from doctors about Yangyang's condition.

At about 6 pm, she was wheeled out on a bed to be transferred to another ward. It was our first time to see the young girl, although she had been covered head-to-toe in a black blanket. Family members turned on Metro Beijing photographer Li Hao as he snapped photos.

They chased the media throng down the corridor, cursing loudly as they unleashed blows. Li Hao was struck on the head with an open fist, while a female reporter from The Beijing Morning Post was stomped by a female relative.

Under Chinese law, domestic violence is defined as one family member physically or emotionally abusing another family member. Chinese lawmakers considered passing a separate law against domestic violence in 2011, although action was never taken.

Nearly a quarter of Chinese women have experienced domestic abuse, according to statistics from the All-China Women's Federation, but many cases go unreported due to the stigma associated with victims.

Wu Qunfang, deputy director of the Maple Women's Psychological Counseling Center, a Beijing shelter for abused women, noted that ambiguity of the law can cause domestic violence to thrive. "Members of families such as mothers should also take responsibility by looking after their children and protecting them from harm," she said.

As a reporter, it's important to respect people's privacy but also to report cases of child abuse so that victims don't suffer in vain.

Striking a balance between the two can be especially difficult in cases where abuse hinges on allegations made by others, but hopefully justice will be served to whoever is found responsible for robbing a 2-year-old girl of her whole life ahead of her.