Case 8 – Rong County child sickness
Location: The community office
Participants: The mediator (female, age around 40), the disputants— a woman and her mother in law.
The Case:(https://www.daowen.com)
The woman’s husband died and she has a son who is living with her mother in law — the son’s grandmother.The woman has heard that the son’s uncle beats her son but did not make a big deal out of it.The woman was shocked to learn that her son had been sent to a mental institution, and would be transferred to a larger hospital.Given her small income, and the conditions that her son was kept in by the mother-in-law, the widow feels that the mother-in-law should be responsible for the medical fees.The mother-in-law argues that she should not have to be the sole financial provider for the child’s care.
The Mediation Session:
The mediator asks each party to air their view.The mediator then informs the daughter about what the law says about such cases, and offers to help her apply for a low income subsidy.The mediator suggests that the parties should spot the cost of the medical fees, and that volunteers from the community will visit the son at no cost, further defraying costs.Finally, an agreement is reached.