Lovers' spats often lead to crime

Arguments between people in romantic relationships and marriages have contributed to a large number of recent murder and intentional injury cases, especially in rural areas where residents know little about the law, according to the courts.

More than half of the 60 intentional homicide cases accepted from 2007 to 2011 by courts in Huai'an, a city in Jiangsu province, were the result of marriage and love spats, according to a report published by the Huai'an Intermediate People's Court earlier this month.

In Xuzhou, Jiangsu province, marriage and love relationships were blamed for 11 out of the 20 murder cases that occurred in the first half of 2007, according to Li Juan, a judge from the Xuzhou Intermediate People's Court.