She explained that Jiang Tianyong, a member of Chen’s legal team, attempted to visit Chen at the hospital and “was beaten so severely in the head that he may have lost hearing in one ear.”
Littlejohn also recounted the story of He Peirong, known as Pearl, who was detained and kept in custody after helping Chen escape. She was eventually released as international attention on her story increased.
Chinese mother Mei Shunping also testified at the hearing, describing the physical and emotional terror of undergoing five forced abortions due to the one-child policy.
Mei described herself as one of the women “that Chen Guangcheng tried to help so courageously.” She said that her life was “destroyed by the policy,” before she was able to escape and come to the United States in 1999.
“We had no dignity as potential child-bearers,” she said.
After her fifth forced abortion, Mei said that the authorities acted without her knowledge or consent to implant an IUD in her uterus, despite the fact that she had a kidney disease, and the device therefore caused her great pain and physical suffering.
In addition, her husband was arrested and sentenced to criminal detention for protesting the policy.
Mei said that the strain caused by the enforcement of the one-child policy led to her divorce, depression and attempted suicide, before she found consolation and healing in the Christian faith.
Rep. Smith called on the U.S. government to continue working on behalf of Chen, as well as his supporters and all the women who suffer under China’s one-child policy.
“The story, unfortunately, is far from over,” he said.
Michelle La Rosa is deputy editor-in-chief of Catholic News Agency. She has worked for CNA since 2011. She studied political philosophy and journalism at the University of Dallas.