By the second day the law was in effect, at least five cases had already been announced.

One of the first personal security orders was issued to a 61-year-old woman surnamed Gu from suburban Beijing. Her husband, 59, surnamed Zhao, knelt down and said, "I promise I won't beat you anymore," as the cameras rolled.

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Gu insisted on a divorce after more than 30 years of marriage, accusing him of abusive behavior throughout that time. According to CCTV, Gu suffered severe bleedings on her head after Zhao beat her. Zhao allegedly covered her mouth and nose with a pillow, simply because "she had forgotten to cook a meal for him as he returned home from work." The restraining order will prevent any further contact from Zhao unless Gu agrees.

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Hunan, Jiangsu, Zhejiang Provinces also each issued their first protection orders, which offer protection to the victims from the contact from their abusers for an initial period ranging from three to six months.

The issue of domestic violence had been neglected in China's recent history due to the lack of a specific law dealing with it. (A variety of measures including the Marriage Law touched upon domestic abuses but activists said they were ambiguous at best.)

Frederic J. Brown / AFP / Getty Images

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