Gay man wins lawsuit for coercive psychiatric treatment

A recent verdict issued by a court in the city of Zhumadian, Henan Province, has ordered the city's psychiatric hospital to pay 5,000 yuan (around 736 USD) to a gay man for forcing him into psychiatric treatment for his sexuality, reports Sohu.com.

File photo of Yu, who wins a lawsuit for coercive psychiatric treatment. [Photo: Wechat]

The hospital is also being told to make a public apology to the man, surnamed Yu.

The courts have ruled the hospital infringed on his personal freedoms by forcing him to receive psychiatric treatment.

The report says Yu filed the lawsuit in May of 2016.

In it, he claims he was forced into the psychiatric hospital in 2015 by his wife and other family members after they discovered he was gay.

The hospital then forced him to undergo psychiatric treatment after being diagnosed with "disorders of sexual preference."

Yu was forced to stay in the hospital for 19 days, during which he was forced to take medication and was subjected to alleged beatings by the medical staff.

Huang Rui, the victim's lawyer, said his client is satisfied with the verdict.

"This should also give more confidence to homosexual community in China about safeguarding their own rights and interests. It should also be a warning to treatment facilities which consider homosexuality as a psychiatric condition," said Huang.